👋 Welcome to CTO Teachings’s newsletter. While we are a recruiting company, we happen to provide a free blog for people just like you. It’s packed with hard-won lessons from CTO—who’s helped managers rise to Engineering Director and CTO roles.
What Happens When You Stop Labeling Engineers
Here’s a leadership experiment worth dissecting: a tech company removed all engineering titles. No “Senior Engineer.” No “Junior Engineer.” No “Staff.” Just engineers—equal on paper, evaluated by contribution.
What followed revealed just how much titles distort perception—and how letting go of them can surface surprising leadership from unexpected places.
The Experiment: No Titles, Just Performance
The company made it clear to every new hire—there were no titles. Compensation was structured through internal salary bands, but externally, everyone was treated the same.
Then came a new hire. On paper? A junior developer. No degree. Quiet. Undeniably talented—far better than 95–98% of the market in terms of raw coding ability. They got hired, despite being an introvert who didn’t present like a typical culture-fit.
It was a bet on skill, not resume polish.
A Year Later: The Twist No One Saw Coming
About a year and a half into the role, a senior engineer—an industry veteran with a decade of experience—found out that the person who had been helping him solve tough problems wasn’t a peer.
He was stunned.
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“Wait, that person’s junior? I’ve been asking them for help constantly. I thought they were senior.”
That’s when the bias showed itself:
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“I never would’ve asked a junior for help.”
Titles had been protecting him—from his own bias.
The Lesson: Titles Are a Shortcut That Often Lead You the Wrong Way
What this revealed is what many engineering leaders quietly fear—titles create blind spots. Without a label to anchor expectations, engineers interacted based on capability and trust. And that “junior”? They quietly became a leader—by merit, not label.
This person didn't just keep up—they accelerated the team. Faster, sharper, more consistent. And with AI tools like ChatGPT, their velocity increased even more. The difference wasn’t just technical skill—it was judgment, autonomy, and clarity.
Why So Many Engineers Still Chase the Title
The reality is, most developers still want that “Senior” line on their resume. Why? Because they know most hiring managers aren’t trained to evaluate talent. Titles become their shortcut.
And if you’re hiring based on titles instead of performance, you’re missing out on exceptional engineers who just haven’t been handed the label yet.
Remote-Only? You Might Be Screening Out Top Talent
One final point: this standout engineer only wanted remote work. And that’s true of many high-performers.
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“I code from coffee shops. In Europe. In Colombia. Why would I go back to an office?”
The best engineers have discovered flexibility—and they’re not interested in giving it up. If your org is clinging to in-office mandates, you might be quietly filtering out your strongest potential hires.
What Future Engineering Leaders Should Take Away
This isn’t just a story about titles. It’s a lesson in designing an org that values contribution over credentials.
As a future CTO or Director of Engineering, ask yourself:
- Are your titles enabling clarity—or bias?
- Are your hiring practices surfacing the best—or just the most polished?
- Are you building a team that looks good on paper—or one that delivers results?
If you remove the friction—like titles, rigid roles, and unnecessary mandates—you might be surprised who naturally starts leading.
If you are ever looking for a job or expanding your team, connect with Shelly, Yuliia, or Harold on LinkedIn.
Thanks for reading,
CTO Teachings