From profile-playbook
This skill should be used when the user asks to "define a technology vision", "create a technology strategy", "write a tech roadmap", "do technology evaluation", "build vs buy analysis", "engineering culture", "platform strategy", "tech stack assessment", "engineering excellence", "technical debt strategy", "R&D strategy", "innovation pipeline", "technology due diligence", or mentions technology leadership work. Guides engineering leads and VPs through CTO tasks using SFIA 9 framework with a 5-phase workflow (Discover → Envision → Build → Scale → Evolve), inline coaching, and technology leadership assessment. Do NOT use for: IT operations/service management (use cio-playbook), solution architecture (use sa-playbook), product management (use cpo-playbook).
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/profile-playbook:cto-playbookThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Guides engineering leads and VPs through Technology Leadership tasks using the SFIA 9 framework. Combines a phase-based workflow with inline coaching to build CTO competency from SFIA level 5 (Ensure, advise) toward level 6-7.
Guides engineering leads and VPs through Technology Leadership tasks using the SFIA 9 framework. Combines a phase-based workflow with inline coaching to build CTO competency from SFIA level 5 (Ensure, advise) toward level 6-7.
| # | Phase | Purpose | Key SFIA Skills | Key Artifacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discover | Assess technology landscape, market trends, competitive position | EMRG, ITSP, RLMT | Technology landscape assessment, Market/competitor analysis, Technical debt inventory, Engineering capability assessment |
| 2 | Envision | Define technology vision, innovation strategy, platform direction | STPL, ITSP, INOV, TECH | Technology vision document, Innovation strategy, Platform architecture principles, Build vs Buy analysis |
| 3 | Build | Establish engineering practices, development standards, team structure | DLMG, GOVN, OCDV | Engineering standards, Development practices guide, Team topology, Technology governance framework |
| 4 | Scale | Scale systems, processes, and teams | ITMG, DLMG, SUPP, FMIT | Scaling strategy, Performance benchmarks, Vendor/partner strategy, Technology budget |
| 5 | Evolve | Monitor emerging tech, adapt strategy, drive continuous innovation | EMRG, INOV, BURM, TECH | Technology radar, Innovation pipeline, Risk assessment, Strategy refresh document |
For detailed phase activities, coaching prompts, and artifact guidance, consult references/cto-phases.md.
When the user initiates a CTO task:
CTO-{PROJECT}-{YYYYMMDD}-{SEQ} (derive PROJECT from directory name).cto-playbook/sessions/{session_id}/state.yaml with phase trackingsession_id: CTO-{PROJECT}-{YYYYMMDD}-{SEQ}
workspace: .cto-playbook/sessions/{session_id}
current_phase: discover
phases:
discover: { status: in_progress, artifacts: [] }
envision: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
build: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
scale: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
evolve: { status: not_started, artifacts: [] }
coaching_log: []
.cto-playbook/sessions/{session_id}/
├── state.yaml
├── discover/
├── envision/
├── build/
├── scale/
└── evolve/
state.yaml to continue where left offAt key moments (artifact completion, strategic decisions, phase transitions), provide coaching:
> **CTO Coach** (STPL L6 → L7)
> [Observation about current work]
> [Tip for next-level performance]
Coaching guidelines:
For coaching prompt templates by skill and level, consult references/coaching-prompts.md.
When reviewing a technology strategy or leadership output (via /cto:assess or during a session):
For the full assessment rubric, consult references/assessment-criteria.md.
The primary SFIA skills for CTO work and their phase mapping:
| Skill | Code | Primary Phases |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise and business architecture | STPL | Envision, Build |
| Strategic planning | ITSP | Discover, Envision |
| Emerging technology monitoring | EMRG | Discover, Evolve |
| Governance | GOVN | Build, Scale |
| Systems development management | DLMG | Build, Scale |
| Specialist advice | TECH | Envision, Evolve |
| Innovation management | INOV | Envision, Evolve |
| Technology service management | ITMG | Scale |
| Stakeholder relationship management | RLMT | Discover, All phases |
| Organisational capability development | OCDV | Build |
| Risk management | BURM | Evolve |
| Supplier management | SUPP | Scale |
| Information systems coordination | ISCO | Envision, Build |
| Financial management | FMIT | Scale |
For full SFIA skill descriptions at each level, consult references/sfia-skill-map.md.
When creating artifacts, use the templates in references/artifact-templates.md. Templates include:
When selecting technology leadership approaches, consult references/cto-patterns.md for common patterns with trade-off analysis:
Target audience: Engineering leads/VPs → CTO (SFIA Level 6), with growth path:
references/cto-phases.md — Detailed phase activities, conversation guides, artifact checklistsreferences/sfia-skill-map.md — Full SFIA skill descriptions for CTO-relevant skills at each levelreferences/coaching-prompts.md — Coaching templates organized by skill and level transitionreferences/artifact-templates.md — Ready-to-use templates for all CTO artifactsreferences/assessment-criteria.md — Full rubric for technology leadership assessment scoringreferences/cto-patterns.md — Common technology leadership patterns with trade-off analysisnpx claudepluginhub baodq97/open-plugin --plugin profile-playbookStrategic CTO advisor with structured sub-commands. Helps technical leaders navigate architecture decisions, organizational design, stakeholder communication, and AI-era challenges. Each sub-command applies a specific framework and produces a concrete artifact. Triggers: cto, pivot cost, hire case, decision map, tech strategy, team health, board prep, ai audit.
Delivers CTO-level guidance: tech debt analyzer, team scaling calculator, DORA/engineering metrics, technology evaluation frameworks, ADR templates. For architecture decisions, strategy, and team growth.
Guides architecture decisions, build-vs-buy evaluations, tech stack planning, tech debt prioritization, PRD writing, and technical strategy communication.