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The CTO as AI Champion

5 min read

Eng Manager

Elena sets the tone. Your job: translate her vision into team-level action. You're the bridge to the org.

Vp Engineering

You report to Elena. You own execution. She champions; you deliver. Feed her the stories that make the case.

Tech Lead

You're the technical truth. Elena speaks to the board; you speak to the engineers. Align. She needs your credibility.

The CTO as AI Champion

TL;DR

  • The CTO is the bridge: tech to business, engineers to board, "what's possible" to "what we'll do." AI is now part of that bridge.
  • Champion means: own the narrative, advocate for investment, and represent the org externally. You're the face of tech strategy.
  • Elena doesn't need to be the best prompt engineer. She needs to be the one who says "we're doing this" and makes it stick.

The CEO cares about revenue. The CFO cares about cost. The board cares about risk and opportunity. Someone has to translate "AI tools for engineers" into that language. That's Elena.

The Bridge Role

  • To the board: "Here's our AI strategy. Here's the investment. Here's the return." Clear. Confident.
  • To the CEO: "We're adopting AI to stay competitive. Here's the plan. Here's the ask."
  • To the org: "We're investing in you. AI is a tool. You're the one who uses it. We're here to help."

Same message, different audiences. Your job is to make each audience get it.

Advocate for Investment

AI tools cost money. Training takes time. Pilots need runway. The CFO will push back. You push forward. "Here's the ROI. Here's the risk of not doing it. Here's what we need." You're the advocate. Make the case.

Represent Externally

When investors, customers, or partners ask "what's your AI strategy?" — they want to hear from the CTO. Have the answer. Rehearse it. Own it. You're the company's technical voice.

Quick Check

The CEO cares about revenue. The CFO cares about cost. The board cares about risk. Who translates 'AI tools for engineers' into that language?

Investors ask about AI. You say 'talk to our eng team.' Customers ask. You defer. You're the CTO but someone else is the AI voice. Confusion.

Click "Champion" to see the difference →

Do This Next

  1. Map your stakeholders. Board, CEO, CFO, eng org. What does each need to hear? Draft the one-minute version for each.
  2. Prepare the ask. Budget, headcount, time. What do you need to make AI adoption work? Have the number. Be ready to defend it.