Hi, my name is Michael Amster.  I am a working CTO and have been involved in technology my entire professional life.  In fact, I got into computers at the age of 12 and never looked back. Over my long career, I have worked at a lot of companies and have tried my hand a number of times at starting new companies (with mixed results).

What prompted me to write a blog is that I have risen to the title of CTO and I have seen many things related to the management of technology and related teams.  I have seen a lot of projects go sideways and a lot of teams run amok due to dysfunction.  On the other hand, I have been part of many successful projects as well.  Most of what I feel I have to offer falls into the realm of common sense, but the dearth of common sense is the fodder for blogs.

Over the course of time, I will try to offer nuggets on technical management, observations about situations I encounter, and the occasional technical article on something I solve.  I usually keep a few side projects running – I feel that constantly learning is a big part of being a technical person, so I force myself to play with new things.

A note on running the blog – I will allow comments, but will filter them as is required in this day and age.  I want to keep the tone light, but not frivolous and to offer some constructive feedback.   I hope that this blog will be seen by execs, technologists, curious souls and become part of the knowledgebase for other CTOs and technical managers.  I have not operated at the largest companies or the highest levels.  I have not had wild successes which give me instant credibility, but I have a few gray hairs, tens of thousands of lines of code and hundreds of people with whom I’ve worked to draw upon.  I hope to make a difference for some of you out there.