Building a Startup from Scratch: My Mistakes as CTO

When I was first approached to help build the technical side of a new startup, I had yet to learn what I was getting into. I was invited by a friend to audit the solution that the previous technical lead and developer had started. Still, due to unforeseen circumstances, both of them decided to leave the project. I was left with a barely started product and no team to continue the work. The startup was developing an app to help users find the best deals and businesses to make the most of their time and money. The app was supposed to connect users with companies that had excess inventory or capacity during off-peak hours, allowing them to take advantage of discounts and deals. The requirement was to build a mobile app for iOS and Android, as well as a web admin portal for business owners to manage their offerings and communicate with customers. Additionally, all purchases had to go through our app. With no team in place and a tight deadline, I knew I had to act fast. I started by assembling a team of engineers to build the backend, admin web portal, and mobile apps. While we had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve and a solid plan in place, I knew that the vision and plan would change multiple times in the future. Finding the right engineers took more time than I had expected, and adjusting our strategy accordingly was crucial, but I was able to build a great team that could execute our vision and adapt to changing circumstances. <a href="https://egor-romanov.medium.com/building-a-startup-from-scratch-my-mistakes-as-cto-b20b463e0058">Learn More</a>