About CTO Field Notes
CTO Field Notes is a collection of observations gathered over the course of my career and life.
Many of these observations came from working with technology teams, CEOs, directors, business leaders, and customers. Others came from serving in churches, studying Scripture, raising a family, reading widely, traveling, and paying attention to the patterns that repeat across different environments.
Over time, these observations led me to formulate hypotheses.
Some were tested through practice.
Some were validated through experience.
Some were sharpened by conversations with mentors, colleagues, friends, and people who challenged my thinking.
Some were reinforced by books, articles, history, and research.
Many remain unfinished questions.
These field notes document that journey.
They are not lessons from someone who has arrived.
They are notes from someone who is still learning.
Many of the ideas explored here have contributed to my own growth—from engineer to architect, from architect to technology leader, and eventually into CTO roles. Others are ideas I am actively testing and trying to understand.
You can expect one field note each week, usually on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
Most notes will follow a similar pattern:
An observation from technology, leadership, career growth, faith, family, or life.
A hypothesis that emerged from that observation.
The experiences, conversations, books, articles, or evidence that shaped my thinking.
How the idea influenced my own growth—or why I believe it deserves further exploration.
An invitation for others to challenge, validate, refine, or extend the idea.
Some notes will describe practices I have tested.
Others will explore hypotheses that remain unresolved.
In both cases, the goal is the same: to connect observations about technology and human behavior, and to better understand the patterns that lead to growth—or decay.
Most importantly, this is intended to be a conversation.
If an observation resonates, share your experience.
If a hypothesis seems flawed, challenge it.
If you’ve seen similar patterns elsewhere, add your perspective.
Let’s keep the conversation civil, the thinking rigorous, and the learning ongoing.
And wherever your own journey takes you, I hope you’ll make your own field notes along the way.
