The CTO Playbook 70: A Better Way to Explain Your Platform to Non-Technical Executives
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Nov 17, 2025 Ever struggled to explain tech concepts to non-techies? Discover how one CTO transformed his message using a floating city metaphor to secure buy-in from co-founders. Learn why traditional analogies like buildings fall short and how to reframe your platform as a living, modular system. Hear how mapping platform components to an oil rig can clarify complex ideas. Get insights on powerful storytelling that enhances leadership without oversimplifying the truth. Practical steps included for anyone looking to communicate effectively!
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CTO Uses Oil-Rig Story To Win Buy-In
- A growth-stage fintech CTO foresaw a scale crisis after accreditation opened a much larger market and pushed for architectural changes.
- The CTO used a floating oil-rig metaphor that helped co-founders and teams immediately understand urgency and approach.
Platform As An Extraction And Distribution System
- The oil rig metaphor expresses that platforms extract, offload, and distribute different data types through specialized mechanisms.
- This framing clarifies why separate systems and pipelines are strategic, not redundant.
Old Metaphors Fail Modern Platforms
- Traditional building and plane metaphors assume a fixed foundation that modern platforms lack.
- Modern platforms are modular, evolving systems better captured by floating, adaptable imagery.