Hiring a World-Class CTO from Kenya: The Future of Remote Tech Leadership

August 15, 2024 (10mo ago)

I just hired one of the best developers I've ever worked with, and he's based in Kenya. This hire represents everything I believe about the future of work - talent is globally distributed, but opportunity isn't. Until now.

The search took 4 months and over 200 interviews. I wasn't looking for someone who could just code - I needed a true CTO who could architect systems, lead teams, and think strategically about technology. Geography was irrelevant; capability was everything.

When I first spoke with him, I was blown away. His technical depth rivaled any Silicon Valley engineer, but his hunger and work ethic exceeded them all. He'd taught himself everything from first principles, contributing to open source projects and building production systems for companies across three continents.

The timezone difference? A feature, not a bug. While I sleep, he's pushing code. When I wake up, we sync on strategy. We're literally building 24/7, and the pace of development has tripled since he joined.

What excites me most is what this represents for the future. The best talent no longer needs to relocate to tech hubs. With the right tools and processes, a distributed team can outperform any co-located group. We're proving it every day.

His fresh perspective challenges every assumption I had about building products. Coming from a different market, he sees opportunities I'm blind to. This diversity of thought is our competitive advantage.

We're going to build something extraordinary together. Not despite the distance, but because of it. The future of tech leadership is global, and companies that don't realize this will be left behind.

The era of geographic constraints on talent is over. The best people can work from anywhere, and smart companies will find them wherever they are. This hire isn't just about filling a role - it's about embracing a new paradigm for building world-class teams.