46: The CEO’s Playbook for Hiring the Right CTO with Warren Beazley

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Most CEOs hire the wrong CTO—not because of a talent shortage, but because they don't know what they're actually looking for.



In this episode, Adam sits down with returning guest Warren Beazley—known across the UK tech scene as The CTO Recruiter. With nearly 30 years in the industry and a track record of 96%+ retention rates, Warren specializes in helping founder-led and investor-backed companies make one of the most pivotal hires in their org: a world-class CTO.

You’ll learn why most CTO searches fail before they begin, how top CEOs are quietly mapping their talent pipelines long before they’re hiring, and the exact behavioral tools Warren uses to identify true leadership fit—not just technical skill. Whether you’re a CEO hiring your first tech exec or a CTO positioning yourself for your next role, this episode reveals how high-stakes technical hiring actually works behind the scenes. Expect sharp insights on filtering through noise, diagnosing culture clashes before they happen, and why gut instinct is no longer enough.

You’ll Learn:

• How elite CEOs reverse-engineer their CTO hires for long-term fit
• Why mapping your talent market beats relying on inbound candidates
• How Warren’s “12-month success review” technique clarifies role expectations
• What most CEOs get wrong about job specs—and how to fix it
• How behavioral surveys predict executive compatibility before it’s too late
• How to test for strategic thinking without asking cliché interview questions
• What to do when you’re not the candidate’s first choice—and how to tell
• How to spot red flags in resumes that even experienced recruiters miss
• Why most hiring failures aren’t about skills—they’re about culture mismatches

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[00:37] Why the CTO hiring market is still tough in 2025

[05:07] What makes hiring CTOs more like poker than chess

[07:15] The difference between founder-led vs investor-led hiring

[10:18] Why great CEOs pivot and redefine their own role

[12:16] Why most companies don’t know who their top candidates are

[14:03] Employed vs. unemployed CTO hiring strategy

[15:00] How to pitch your company to elite CTOs

[16:13] Why money isn’t the main motivator for great candidates

[17:41] The “12-month success review” for defining your ideal hire

[20:00] Why job ads fail and how to create story-driven ones

[22:03] Mapping the market to uncover passive candidates

[25:00] The challenge of filtering hundreds of resumes

[27:00] How structured interviews speed up good hiring

[29:16] What your resume should reveal—but probably doesn’t

[31:14] Culture and compatibility: the real reasons hires fail

[33:00] How behavioral surveys predict long-term fit

[36:03] Using personality data to shape interview questions

[38:06] Why a 3-day decision window makes or breaks offers

[40:01] Setting salary expectations early to avoid breakdowns

[42:15] Open feedback channels that improve CTO retention

[45:03] What really happens when a great hire walks away

You can learn more about Warren's work on his website. or you can book a FREE 10 Minute call to understand if his hiring blueprint would work for you.

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.