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In this episode of CTO Insights, I sat down with Farah Chabchoub, CTO at Worklife, to discuss the inevitable shift from growth at all costs to building a financially sustainable tech company.
Farah shares how aligning engineering efforts with strategic business goals is the key to driving operational excellence and stability. She talks about the practical steps and frameworks she uses to help late-stage startups transition their focus toward profitability and sustainability. This conversation is packed with valuable insights for engineering leaders navigating the complexities of changing growth strategies.
What you’ll learn
The critical role of a CTO in guiding a company to become EBITDA positive (i.e., profitable).
How to balance delivery speed with long-term company health.
Effective frameworks for assessing and improving team productivity and efficiency.
Strategies for building roadmaps that integrate financial sustainability.
The importance of aligning product initiatives with financial goals.
Practical advice on engaging the board with technical initiatives.
How to leverage AI for cost-effective product innovation and iteration.
Managing the shift from hyper-growth to financially sustainable practices.
Insightful methods for aligning team efforts with strategic business objectives.
Building a resilient team culture to support transitions and change management.
“You need to change the vision of a tech team from being seen as a center of cost to a center of value creation. That flips the discussion and changes the trajectory of the company on a strategic level.” - Farah Chabchoub, CTO at Worklife
Farah Chabchoub is a champion for helping startups and scale-ups achieve excellence for sustainable growth. As the Chief Technology Officer at a leading French HR fintech acquired by a top global bank, Farah brings over eight years of experience in driving tech excellence and leading modern engineering teams through phases of hypergrowth, acquisition, and corporate integration.
Known for her ability to navigate exit strategies and post-acquisition transformations successfully, she is also the author of the Build Quality newsletter and an active speaker sharing insights on scaling, quality, and tech governance. Farah believes that successful scale-ups are built on strong foundations, focusing on creating high-performing businesses where technology serves as a strategic asset at the executive and board levels.
Resources:
Content Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
01:11 Joining Post Series C: Challenges and Fixes
02:27 EBITDA Positive: A CTO’s Unique Goal
05:35 First Steps in a New Company
10:20 Aligning Product Roadmap with Financial Plan
16:20 AI and Product Development
17:49 The Cost of Poor Planning
21:57 Managing Team and Stakeholders During Tough Decisions
31:55 Mindset Shifts for Sustainable Growth
34:42 Final Advice for Engineering Leaders
