Can you share an example of a time when you received critical feedback on your work as a CTO? How did you respond to the feedback and what did you learn from it?

Question

Navigating the intricacies of critical feedback can transform a CTO's approach to leadership and innovation. This article distills expert advice into actionable steps that align with both technical excellence and business acumen. Discover strategies from seasoned professionals to harness feedback for personal growth and organizational success.

Harman Singh · Answer

As LinkedIn's Senior Staff Engineer leading infrastructure scaling for 400M+ users, I once faced criticism post-launch when a distributed caching overhaul caused a 20% latency spike in feed updates. I immediately paused the rollout, owned the misstep publicly, and spent 48 hours collaborating with data engineers to pinpoint hash-ring imbalances. The feedback taught me that even battle-tested systems need incremental validation at our scale. We now enforce shadow traffic A/B tests for all foundational changes and built automated performance regression gates into deployment pipelines. Critical feedback isn't failure - it's the pressure that forges antifragile systems. Key learning? Velocity without layered resilience checks is just technical debt in disguise. That incident reshaped how we approach migrations - no more "big bang" upgrades, only iterative transitions with kill switches.

Patric Edwards · Answer

Early in my tenure as a CTO, I presented a new system architecture plan to our leadership team. I was confident in its technical soundness, but during the review, one executive pointed out that I hadn't fully accounted for how the changes would affect the customer onboarding process. While the architecture streamlined internal workflows, it unintentionally created complexity for new users.
Initially, I felt defensive, but I recognized the value of the feedback and took a step back to reevaluate. I brought together both the technical and customer success teams to identify areas where the plan could be adjusted to balance operational efficiency with user experience. We made targeted changes, such as enhancing user interface pathways and integrating onboarding tutorials into the system.
This experience taught me the importance of considering all stakeholder perspectives—especially customer impact—when making decisions. Since then, I've implemented a process where major technical plans undergo cross-functional reviews before finalization. It's made our systems not only more robust but also more aligned with our users' needs.

Dhari Alabdulhadi · Answer

As a CTO, I once received critical feedback about delayed project timelines due to inadequate communication between teams. Initially, I clarified the concerns to understand the root cause. Instead of being defensive, I acknowledged the gap and took immediate steps to improve. I introduced weekly cross-functional meetings to foster transparency and implemented project management tools for better tracking. The experience taught me the importance of proactive communication and aligning technical and business priorities. It also reinforced the value of listening to feedback, no matter how critical, as a means to grow and improve leadership effectiveness.

Nikita Sherbina · Answer

While serving as CTO of my former company, one memorable moment of receiving critical feedback occurred during the rollout of a new internal tool. The development team expressed frustration that they weren't consulted during the planning phase, resulting in usability challenges that disrupted their workflows.
Initially, the feedback was tough to hear, as I had prioritized speed over collaboration. However, I recognized the value of their concerns and organized a retrospective meeting to dive deeper into the issues and gather their input. To prevent similar missteps, I introduced an open feedback loop for future projects, ensuring team members were involved early in the decision-making process.
This experience underscored the importance of collaboration and communication in leadership. By involving the team from the start, you not only create more effective solutions but also foster trust and a sense of ownership. The tool's second iteration, shaped by their input, was a resounding success, significantly boosting productivity. Embracing critical feedback can truly be a turning point for growth and improvement.

Patrick Wilson · Answer

I got feedback that I wasn't delegating enough of my work, and that was leading to delays in my work being delivered.
I realized that I wasn't delegating because I didn't have time to upskill the necessary people to take the work from me. This was a vicious cycle.
I decided over the course of 3 months, to commit to less work and in that time use the extra time to upskill people around me so that I could delegate more.

Ben Grimwade · Answer

During a product launch, I got feedback that my team was being too "cautious" (i.e. slow) in releasing.
I realized that the caution was because the Engineering team didn't trust their own release process due to lack of automated tests.
I sat down with the engineering team and tech leads and set out a goal of working in time to create automated tests at all levels (Integration Tests, Component Tests, Unit Tests) to slowly move towards continuous deployment.

Robbert Bink · Answer

Receiving critical feedback is essential for professional growth, especially when decisions impact a company's technical and strategic direction. During a major infrastructure overhaul to improve scalability and performance, a key stakeholder raised concerns about the timeline and potential service disruptions.
Rather than becoming defensive, I viewed this feedback as an opportunity to reevaluate our approach. I organized a meeting with the team to address the concerns, revisited our deployment strategy, and incorporated additional measures to minimize downtime. This involved optimizing our rollout plan into smaller, incremental phases while ensuring robust communication with all affected teams. The process taught me the importance of aligning technical decisions with business priorities and stakeholder expectations, as well as the value of transparent communication. The project succeeded, and the feedback adjustments strengthened trust and collaboration within the organization.

Bram Louwers · Answer

I once received feedback that my focus on long-term tech innovation sometimes delayed immediate project deliverables. Initially, it was tough to hear, but I took a step back and assessed the situation objectively. I realized the importance of balancing visionary goals with practical timelines. In response, I implemented a more iterative approach to development, ensuring quicker wins while staying aligned with long-term objectives. This not only improved team morale but also boosted stakeholder confidence. The experience taught me to view critical feedback as an opportunity for growth and collaboration rather than criticism.

Samantha Odo · Answer

While I'm not a CTO, I've had similar experiences as a leader in real estate where critical feedback has shaped my growth. One instance stands out when a colleague pointed out that a marketing strategy I spearheaded for a new property development lacked a focus on digital engagement, which was crucial for reaching our target audience.
Initially, it was hard to hear, as I'd invested significant effort into the campaign's traditional media components. However, I took a step back and reviewed the data, which confirmed the gap in digital outreach. Instead of defending the original plan, I collaborated with my team to adjust our strategy, incorporating virtual tours, targeted social media ads, and interactive content. These changes not only improved the campaign but also led to a 25% increase in online inquiries within two months.
The experience taught me the value of listening to constructive criticism and remaining flexible. It reinforced that feedback, when approached with an open mind, isn't a setback but an opportunity to refine your approach and deliver better results.

9 Ways to Learn and Grow from Critical Feedback as a CTO

9 Ways to Learn and Grow from Critical Feedback as a CTO

Pause Rollout and Collaborate

Balance Efficiency with User Experience

Improve Communication and Tracking

Prioritize Collaboration and Communication

Commit to Upskilling for Delegation

Implement Automated Tests for Trust

Align Technical Decisions with Business Priorities

Balance Visionary Goals with Practical Timelines

Adjust Strategy for Digital Engagement