Over the last few weeks, I’ve been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the number of tasks I’m responsible for. As the CTO of a services company, I’m involved in nearly 80% of all discussions that are not project-specific (and often in those as well). This means that deciding what to focus on at the start of my day is often a struggle.

This morning, before doing anything else, I decided to define my concept of priority. To my surprise, I was able to come up with a definition that encompasses everything I find valuable for both the company and the team.

Before diving into that, I need to define the North Star. Companies differ in processes, people, and culture, but one characteristic most of them share is their main goal: to make money. However, there are values they might be willing to sacrifice that I am not. The quality of life—both for me and my team—is a good example.

Therefore, the North Star for my definition of priority is:

A task that increases either company revenue or the quality of life for my team, where one must not contradict the other.

To help me decide what I should work on each day, I came up with two tools.

1. A High-Level Definition

This helps me quickly regain perspective when I find myself with tunnel vision, focusing on a task purely for personal satisfaction. I ask myself if the task falls into one of these categories:

  • Stability
    • The task maintains or improves the company’s current revenue.
  • Quality of life
    • The task enhances the team’s ability or happiness.
  • Growth
    • The task supports revenue growth.

If the answer is an easy “no” for all of the above, it means the task has no place in my workday. It likely doesn’t fall within my responsibilities, so I either delegate it or drop it entirely.

If the answer is “yes,” I move forward with it. However, every single day, I have more tasks than I can accomplish. To prioritize effectively, I created the following scale of priorities:

2. The Scale of Priorities

  1. Will it increase the company’s revenue?

    1. It will bring in new contracts.
      • Examples: Participating in sales meetings, refining proposals, or contributing to pitch materials that directly influence potential clients’ decisions.
      • Impact: These activities have immediate and measurable impact on the company’s bottom line.
    2. It will increase the size of existing contracts.
      • Examples: Identifying upsell opportunities within current projects, suggesting new features or services that add value to clients.
      • Impact: Often easier than acquiring new clients and shows our commitment to existing relationships.
    3. It will strengthen our ability to execute current contracts.
      • Examples: Resolving critical technical issues, improving deployment processes, or optimizing resource allocation.
      • Impact: Ensures we maintain client satisfaction and protect existing revenue streams.

  2. Will it enhance the team’s ability to deliver quality work?

    1. It will improve the team’s technical skills.
      • Examples: Running knowledge sharing sessions, providing mentorship, setting up learning programs, or establishing technical standards.
      • Impact: Creates a multiplier effect where one investment in learning benefits multiple projects.
    2. It will boost team morale and work satisfaction.
      • Examples: Addressing pain points in work processes, recognizing achievements, creating growth opportunities.
      • Impact: Directly affects retention, productivity, and ultimately the quality of our deliverables.

  3. Will it increase our chances of future success?

    1. It will improve the likelihood of securing larger or more contracts in the future.
      • Examples: Building case studies from successful projects, developing reusable components that speed up future work, establishing practices that differentiate us from competitors.
      • Impact: Creates foundations for long-term growth rather than just immediate returns.
    2. It will strengthen our ability to handle contract expansion.
      • Examples: Building scalable infrastructure, documenting processes, creating onboarding materials for future team members.
      • Impact: Ensures we can grow smoothly without sacrificing quality or burning out the team.

This prioritization framework has already helped me focus my daily work. For example, yesterday I was faced with two competing priorities: reviewing a technical architecture for a potential new client versus addressing a recurring deployment issue that was causing frustration for the team. Using my framework, I determined that the deployment issue was affecting our ability to execute current contracts (1.3) and was negatively impacting team morale (2.2). So despite the allure of working on new business, I chose to resolve the deployment problems first.

Balancing Short-term and Long-term Priorities

One challenge with any prioritization framework is balancing short-term needs with long-term investments. I’ve found that if I focus exclusively on category 1 (revenue), I end up neglecting the foundations needed for sustainable growth. Conversely, spending too much time on category 3 (future success) might put current revenue at risk.

My solution is to allocate my time roughly according to this distribution:

  • 60% on category 1 priorities (immediate revenue impact)
  • 30% on category 2 priorities (team capabilities)
  • 10% on category 3 priorities (future positioning)

This allocation shifts based on company circumstances. During tighter financial periods, I might increase focus on category 1. When we’re more stable, I can invest more in categories 2 and 3.

Making It Work in Practice

To implement this framework in my daily work, I’ve adopted these practices:

  1. Morning priority setting: I spend 15 minutes each morning categorizing my tasks according to the framework.

  2. Visible reminders: I keep my North Star definition visible at my desk to maintain focus during the day.

  3. Weekly review: I analyze how I spent my time that week and whether it aligned with my intended distribution.

  4. Saying no effectively: When declining tasks that don’t align with my priorities, I reference this framework to explain my reasoning.

  5. Delegation with context: When delegating tasks, I share this framework to help team members understand the strategic importance of their work.

Conclusion

As CTOs, our most valuable resource is our attention. In a role where we could potentially work on anything from deep technical problems to high-level strategy to people management, having a clear prioritization framework isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

This system has helped me make more intentional choices about where to focus my energy, reduce the guilt of saying “no” to low-impact work, and maintain a healthier balance between immediate needs and long-term investments. While the specific priorities will differ based on your company’s situation and goals, the approach of creating an explicit framework aligned with both business outcomes and team wellbeing can be universally valuable.

Remember that any prioritization framework needs regular reassessment. As your company evolves, your priorities will too. The key is having a conscious, intentional approach rather than letting your day be driven by whatever seems most urgent in the moment.

I’d love to hear how other technical leaders approach prioritization in their roles. What frameworks have you found effective? What challenges have you faced in implementing them?