The 6 Types of Tech Projects Every CTO Should take care of
If you’re a CTO or head of tech, you’ve probably been asked: “What areas do you focus on?” It’s easy to mention a couple of things off the top of your head - maybe tech upgrades, team building or feature development.
But recently, I came across a helpful framework in a course that gave me a clear, structured way to think about it. It breaks your tech responsibilities into six types of projects. You don’t need to give them all equal attention, but being aware of them helps you plan better.
1. Mandatory Projects
These are the things you have to do because of government regulations or legal requirements.
They’re usually not too expensive or complicated. The best approach? Find a trusted partner or vendor who already knows the ropes and let them handle it.
2. Technology Renewal
This is all about updating or replacing old tech - what we often call “tech debt.”
If you delay it too long, it gets harder and more expensive to fix later. Think of it like regular maintenance for your car - it’s not exciting, but it keeps everything running smoothly.
3. Incremental Process Improvement
These are small upgrades that improve how things work.
For example, giving sales staff iPads in stores so they can show customers items that aren’t physically available, like Lenskart does. Small changes like this can really improve the customer experience.
4. Competitive Necessity
These are the features or changes you need to make because your competitors already have them and your customers are starting to expect them too.
If you delay too long, you risk falling behind. It’s not about being first, but at least keeping up.
5. Competitive Advantage
Now we’re talking strategy. This is where you do something new and valuable for your customers - something your competitors haven’t thought of or haven’t built yet.
These projects take time and money. They’re not urgent, but they can put you way ahead in the long run. This is where real innovation happens.
6. Digital Infrastructure
These are the behind-the-scenes systems that help your company scale, like cloud platforms, security systems or internal tools.
They’re complex, time-consuming and often invisible to customers - but skipping them isn’t an option if you want to grow.
If your company wants to be a market leader, you’ll need to invest heavily in competitive advantage projects. That’s how you stay ahead.
If you’re following a market follower strategy, you’ll focus more on competitive necessity, but make sure your execution is excellent. You don’t have to be first, but you do have to be better.
This framework helped me think more clearly about where to invest time, people and budget. I hope it’s helpful for you too.
Did I miss anything? If yes, please help me make it better by sharing your thoughts in the comments.