By Alberto Martín (ERNI Spain)
We’re living in a moment where technology advances faster than our human capacity to absorb it. In this fast-moving landscape, the role of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) has undergone a profound transformation. It’s no longer enough to be the best system architect or the person who knows the most about code; today, we’re required to bring strategic vision, empathy and the ability to translate technical complexity into a language the business can understand and value.
I’ve experienced this duality firsthand. My foundation is technical – I hold a degree in Telematics Engineering from Carlos III University, and I spent years immersed in the world of Open Source at Bitergia and IMDEA Networks. But my perspective broadened after completing the PDD at IESE and collaborating as a Digital Transformation facilitator at MIT Professional Education. That combination taught me that transparency isn’t just an open-source practice – it’s a driver of business innovation. Today, I lead Technology & Innovation at ERNI, guided by one conviction that defines me: passion for learning and for sharing knowledge.
There’s a dangerous myth in our industry: the CTO as a solitary genius who has all the answers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I don’t see my role as the ‘boss of the engineers’ but as a national team coach. A good coach studies the opponent (the market), identifies talent, unites the locker room and defines the game strategy. I’m deeply inspired by the British cycling philosophy of ‘marginal gains’ (popularised by James Clear): it’s not about improving one thing by 100%, but about improving 100 things by 1% every single day.
For this approach to work, a modern CTO must stand on three logical pillars:
- Strategic Vision: Knowing which battles are worth fighting.
- Human Leadership: Connecting through credibility, not hierarchy.
- Technical Pulse: Staying grounded in what is actually possible to build.
Today’s navigation requires avoiding distractions. Everyone talks about AI and cybersecurity, but we can’t ignore the ‘grey rhinos’ – disruptive technologies or shifts that are clearly visible yet often overlooked – such as new computing paradigms (including quantum) or hyperconnectivity, which may rewrite the rules of the game.
However, the hardest challenge isn’t technical – it’s human. Managing talent and culture is the real test. How do we know if we’re doing it well? I use three simple yardsticks:
- Business Impact: Are we generating revenue or saving costs?
- Talent Magnet: Do brilliant people want to come – and stay?
- Operational Excellence: Reliability and control over technical debt.
When it comes to technical debt, the path isn’t always elegant. Take a specific case: during a migration to AWS, we had to work with a complex application without access to the previous team or any prior knowledge. We even broke production twice. But then we found extraordinarily solid documentation and impeccable code. That changed everything – and within just three months, we completed the migration successfully. The story had a fun twist: much later, I discovered the original developer was Brais Moure, with whom I eventually reconnected to reminisce about the ‘war story’.
Continuous learning – through training and reading – remains a fundamental source of inspiration for me. I often recommend books such as The Innovator’s DNA by Dyer, Gregersen and Christensen, a practical guide to cultivating innovation skills; or Radical Candor by Kim Scott, which explains how to give feedback and lead with humility.
The myth of the lone genius no longer serves us. Being a good CTO today is about connecting the dots – aligning people, vision and code towards a shared purpose. I choose to lead with transparency and critical thinking, acknowledging that true mastery isn’t about having all the answers, but about never losing the curiosity to find them.
At ERNI, we are convinced that motivating a team is a fundamental duty of a leader. Are you interested to explore how Albert Alsina, the Managing director at ERNI Spain, lives his leadership philosophy, which revolves around empowering and encouraging team members to embrace new challenges? Read our previous article Motivating teams through innovation and engagement.