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The CTO of applications reporting to CEO of applications (who reports to the actual CEO) is kinda weird? I figure you're either the actual CTO or you're not a C

The CTO of applications reporting to CEO of applications (who reports to the actual CEO) is kinda weird? I figure you're either the actual CTO or you're not a C-level exec and should have another title. Just more title inflation I guess. Maybe in same way you see VPs of X everywhere in some organizations we'll be starting to see CEO/CTO of X lower and lower down the org chart.

giancarlostoro 1y ago
I'm just sitting here wondering what in the world "Applications" is, is that a subsidiary or what?
- therealbilliam 1y ago
  Apparently that's what they call ChatGPT, Codex, etc ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- kridsdale1 1y ago
  A thing that uses a model to have customers.
neom 1y ago
It's signaling P&L responsibilities. It's not that weird, at least not unheard of at all, just that it's typically done through "EVP" - So EVP Applications, VP of Applications Engineering, etc. - I'm guessing that the line items those "C"s who are not Sam are responsible for, are bigger than most F500 executives, and they're using titles to reflect that reality.
- swyx 1y ago
  just gonna point out that Google has done this as well and its not so much title inflation as it is just acknownledging the fact that if the unit they command was a standalone business they would well be worth the CEO/CTO title.
  - motoxpro 1y ago
    Yep. CEO of YouTube, Google Cloud, etc.
geodel 1y ago
This C level thing is happening for decades. There are many with CTO title who manage groups sometime as small as 5-10 people. And they are not startups but large corporates.
nerdsniper 1y ago
“CTO” makes sense as a signal that “the buck stops here” for technical issues. They are the highest-ranking authority on technical decisions for their silo, with no one above them (but two CEO’s above them for business decisions) If Mira Murati (CTO of OpenAI) has authority over their technical decisions, then it’s an odd title. If I was talking with a CTO, I wouldn't expect another CTO to outrank or be able to overrule them.
- atty 1y ago
  It would be quite strange indeed for Mira Murati to have a say over their technical decisions, considering she does not work for OpenAI :)
prasadjoglekar 1y ago
Just look at any media agency (OMG as an example). There are CEOs up the wazoo, one for North America, one for EU etc. In practice, these are just internal P&Ls.
citizenpaul 1y ago
Sounds to me like another phase in the growth of the "Unaccountability Machine" https://www.amazon.com/Unaccountability-Machine-Systems-Terrible-Decisions-ebook/dp/B0CGFWBFD6 https://www.amazon.com/Unaccountability-Machine-Systems-Terr... Oh the CTO approved it so we should blame them. No not that CTO the other CTO. Oh so who decided on the final out come. The CTO! So who is on first again?

giancarlostoro 1y ago

I'm just sitting here wondering what in the world "Applications" is, is that a subsidiary or what?

therealbilliam 1y ago
Apparently that's what they call ChatGPT, Codex, etc ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
kridsdale1 1y ago
A thing that uses a model to have customers.

neom 1y ago

It's signaling P&L responsibilities. It's not that weird, at least not unheard of at all, just that it's typically done through "EVP" - So EVP Applications, VP of Applications Engineering, etc. - I'm guessing that the line items those "C"s who are not Sam are responsible for, are bigger than most F500 executives, and they're using titles to reflect that reality.

swyx 1y ago
just gonna point out that Google has done this as well and its not so much title inflation as it is just acknownledging the fact that if the unit they command was a standalone business they would well be worth the CEO/CTO title.
- motoxpro 1y ago
  Yep. CEO of YouTube, Google Cloud, etc.

geodel 1y ago

This C level thing is happening for decades. There are many with CTO title who manage groups sometime as small as 5-10 people. And they are not startups but large corporates.

nerdsniper 1y ago

“CTO” makes sense as a signal that “the buck stops here” for technical issues. They are the highest-ranking authority on technical decisions for their silo, with no one above them (but two CEO’s above them for business decisions) If Mira Murati (CTO of OpenAI) has authority over their technical decisions, then it’s an odd title. If I was talking with a CTO, I wouldn't expect another CTO to outrank or be able to overrule them.

atty 1y ago
It would be quite strange indeed for Mira Murati to have a say over their technical decisions, considering she does not work for OpenAI :)

prasadjoglekar 1y ago

Just look at any media agency (OMG as an example). There are CEOs up the wazoo, one for North America, one for EU etc. In practice, these are just internal P&Ls.

citizenpaul 1y ago

Sounds to me like another phase in the growth of the "Unaccountability Machine" https://www.amazon.com/Unaccountability-Machine-Systems-Terrible-Decisions-ebook/dp/B0CGFWBFD6 https://www.amazon.com/Unaccountability-Machine-Systems-Terr... Oh the CTO approved it so we should blame them. No not that CTO the other CTO. Oh so who decided on the final out come. The CTO! So who is on first again?