Ask HN: I have the opportunity to pick my own title, any ideas?

2 points by matterio ↗ HN
I'm being offered a position for a startup. I'll be the programming lead in a team of three or so. The CEO is giving me the opportunity to pick my own job title.

My responsibilities are going to be the actual programming of the app, providing good estimates and suggestions on different user stories—IE helping him prioritize features—and designing the architecture of the app as a whole. To some extent I'll also be founding the programming culture there too—the CEO is non-technical, I would be the one actually driving the development process. "CTO" seems to have the connotation that I won't actually be coding, which is a negative. I'm thinking maybe "lead developer," but that doesn't seem to cover the extent of what I'll be doing, either. I've googled around but haven't found any great alternatives.

7 comments

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I wouldn't worry about whether people will believe you can code. Just use CTO.
Chief Engineer. Or maybe Chief Engineering Officer.
Lead Software Developer.
His Holiness Via Lactea Maximus, Grand Emperor of the Galactic Cluster, Potentate of the Southern Quadrant, Imperator of Countless Worlds
When asked for my title I used to reply, "head geek".