The document summarizes the author's experience as an early stage CTO, noting that over 4 years the company grew from 3 back makers in one country with €8M in GMV to 160 back makers across 6 countries with 9 digits in GMV. It provides advice on anticipating but not over-anticipating, choosing co-founders you trust, focusing on projects that fulfill you both as an engineer and human being, and fighting planned obsolescence.

1. My wild life as an
Early stage CTO

3. Today
160 Back Makers
6 countries
9 digits GMV
4 years ago
3 Back Makers
€8M GMV

7. Anticipate.
But don’t over-Anticipate.
But Anticipate.
But don’t over-Anticipate.
But Anticipate.

11. Choose co-founders you can
trust. But most importantly who
blindly trust you.
Or walk away & apply at Back Market:
quentin@backmarket.fr

14. Eat. Code. Love. Repeat. Eat. Code. Love.
Repeat. Eat. Code. Love. Repeat. Eat. Code.
Love. Repeat. Eat. Code. Love. Repeat. Eat.
Code. Love. Repeat. Eat. Code. Love.
Repeat. Eat. Code. Love. Repeat. Eat. Code.
Love. Repeat. Eat. Code. Love. Repeat. Eat.
Code. Love. Repeat. Eat. Code. Love.
Repeat. Eat. Code. Love. Repeat. Eat. Code.
Love. Repeat. Eat. Code. Love. Repeat.
Eat. Code. Love. Repeat. Eat. Code. Love.

20. Choose a project that fits you as
an engineer and fulfill you as a
human being.
Or walk away & apply at etc.

21. Let’s Fight Planned Obsolescence.

22. Don’t underestimate your impact
on the whole culture &
organization of your company.

23. Stand Up Finance.

25. Launches
its OKR
2018
The Great Milestones of OKR.

26. 1 Project - 1 Owner - 1 KPI

27. Don’t keep divas.

29. Underpromise.
Overdeliver.

31. Hold on day 1.

32. Hold onto “day 1” as long as possible.
Fight the idea that “day 2” has arrived.
“Day 2 is stasis. Followed by irrelevance.
Followed by excruciating, painful decline.
Followed by death.
And that is why it is always Day 1.”

33. Day 1 =
“Keep your feet in the
shit.”
(Managers, Heads of, VP, C-X)

34. Cimer.