From the book CTO Excellence in 100 DaysYour first 100 days in a new CTO job. Write them down.
You've just started as CTO at a new company. Maybe it's your first CTO job, maybe your fifth. This is the companion notebook to CTO Excellence in 100 Days. It knows which day you're on and asks you the book's questions for that day.
Write in it here, or talk to it from Claude. Same notebook either way.
It's free. All I need is your name and email.
Day 23of 100
- 1–10
- 11–20
- 21–30
- 31–40
- 41–50
- 51–60
- 61–70
- 71–80
- 81–90
- 91–100
The 10 sections, straight from the book
Every 10 days you move on to the next section. Each one has the prompts and tables from the book, the page they come from and a link to the community for those days.
- 1–10Learn the Business Goals & Objectivesp. 59
- 11–20Learn to Socializep. 67
- 21–30Set Goalsp. 79
- 31–40Personal Values to Company Goalsp. 91
- 41–50Understand Company Dynamicsp. 105
- 51–60Use Flowcharts and Documentationp. 123
- 61–70Learn to Improvisep. 143
- 71–80Maintain Trusting Relationshipsp. 153
- 81–90Create “What If” Scenariosp. 163
- 91–100What Is Important to Stakeholdersp. 171
CTO Excellence in 100 Days
Becoming the Leader Your Company Deserves
The book walks you through your first 100 days at a new company, 10 days at a time, with questions for each stretch. This notebook asks them in the book's words and keeps track of the day for you.
“If your goal is to be a world-class CTO, read this. If not, move along. I've known Etienne for years, and every tech leader I send his way always thanks me. He makes me look good, just like this book will make you world-class.”
“Etienne is my go-to CTO coach for any SaaS founder and CEO. He is unconventional and brilliant. CTO Excellence in 100 Days is the gateway to his mind and a blueprint for any company's CTO.”
“Etienne truly understands the role of CTO, which is why it doesn't surprise me that he wrote CTO Excellence in 100 Days. Every time we talk, his love for people and his craft shines through. As a fellow geek who has had to navigate the world of leadership, I recommend every technical leader have this book on their bookshelf.”
Or talk to it from Claude
Some days you won't open another tab. So connect Claude, Cursor or any AI that speaks MCP and just talk.
Tell it about the meeting you just walked out of. It files the note on the right day, asks you the next question from the book and pushes back when your answer is vague.
Add the CTO Notebook skill and Claude coaches you through the book one prompt at a time.
- You
- Let's do my notebook check-in.
- Claude
- Day 23 of 100. You're in Set Goals, page 79 of the book. What happened today?
- You
- Finance runs the board pack out of 3 spreadsheets. Nobody owns it.
- Claude
- Saved to day 23. That sounds like a Quick Win. Who would notice first if it got fixed, and by when could you show them?
Start with the cover page
Before day 1, write down the company you're walking into. Revenue, headcount, your budget. Later you'll want to know where you started.
- Company Name
- Annual Revenues
- Total Nr. Employees
- Your Nr. Employees
- Your Budget For Employees
- Your Budget For Operations
Then keep writing
After a meeting. At the end of the day. When something surprises you. Get it out and add a note. Each note lands on the day you wrote it, so the grid shows you how often you came back.
Sam wants to lead the platform team. He has never run a 1:1. Pair him with Dana for the next 30 days and check in on day 52.
Day 22 · Example note
Reading the book? Set up your notebook before you start chapter 1.
Set up your notebook