The CTO Playbook

A leadership platform built for the full CTO journey

Coaching, podcast, and community to help you lead with clarity, grow with confidence, and drive strategic impact

Start Your CTO Coaching Journey

NEW: The Early CTO Map — a free 5-day email course

🗺️ The Early CTO Map
Stop Fighting Fires.
Start Leading.

Sign up to a free 5-day email course built from frameworks used to coach hundreds of CTOs out of the fire.

Take control and get your free 5-day email course

Not just another course

Whether you’re stepping into the role or navigating exec-level complexity, this platform gives you:

🎯 1:1 and group coaching — Real support to tackle your leadership challenges
💬 Community — A high-trust space to connect and grow
🎙️ Podcast — honest stories from real CTOs
📘 Tools — Actionable playbooks you can use today

This isn’t just content, it’s support for the full CTO journey. It's where busy leaders become strategic executives — with clarity and support at every step.

Start Your CTO Coaching Journey

CTO Coaching

Get the leadership support you wish you had years ago

Most CTOs learn leadership the hard way — through trial, error, and burnout. This platform is built to change that.

Because at the executive level, technical skills aren’t enough. You’re expected to lead, scale, and strategise — without a playbook.

That’s why The CTO Playbook exists: To help you grow with clarity and confidence with the support you’ve been missing.

Your Path.
Your Pace.
Your Playbook.

Every leader’s journey is different — so we start by helping you see where you are, and what to focus on next.

The CTO Growth Framework brings structure to your growth — and momentum to your leadership.

You choose the format that fits how you work best:

🚀 Self-paced lessons
🚀 Live cohort coaching
🚀 1:1 strategic support

Three Programs. One Growth Journey.

Choose the program and the support mix that fits your goals

⛺️ CTO Basecamp

Your foundation for confident, strategic leadership.

Join a 6-week cohort to build the habits, systems, and mindset that help you lead with clarity — not just execute.

🏔️ CTO Elevate

Define your strategy. Scale your influence. Lead the organisation.

Join a 10-week cohort to craft your engineering strategy and lead as a true strategic business partner.

🧗🏽‍♀️ CTO Ascent

1:1 coaching for strategic, high-impact leadership.

Go deep with elite coaching tailored to your goals, pace, and context. Use solo or alongside Basecamp or Elevate.

Explore Coaching Programs

Built by a CTO.
Backed by Results.

What leaders are saying

Marcus, CTO

“Adam has completely transformed the way I approach leadership. His guidance has been instrumental in helping me develop the skills to step into the CTO role, and his insights into managing people and tech strategy have been invaluable. I continue to learn from Adam and credit much of my professional development to his mentorship.”

Zoë, Head of Engineering & Product

“Adam has been an integral part of my transition into engineering leadership. His mentorship has upleveled our company significantly — from improving engineering velocity and team culture to shaping product strategy. Every session gives me clarity on how to move my team, company, and product forward.”

Christian, CTO

“Adam blends deep tech expertise with a warm, human approach to leadership. He empowers you to develop your own instincts, while pushing you forward with candid, well-formulated feedback. Working with him has sharpened my skills and given me the tools to manage challenges more effectively.”

Abz, CTO

"Adam’s mentorship was instrumental in refining my approach to managing executive stakeholders and strategic planning. He increased my executive presence, improved my leadership skills, business acumen, and overall confidence as a CTO. Anyone looking for a CTO coach who can truly transform your executive leadership should not hesitate to work with Adam."

Adem, Co-founder & CTO

“I learned to take a step back and see the bigger picture thanks to Adam: don’t work in the machine but on the machine. He’s a great listener who helps with exactly what matters. I’ve learned to think more strategically and feel comfortable in my role as co-founder and CTO.”

Isaac, Founding Engineer & Head of Engineering

“Adam’s guidance has been invaluable. His insights helped me navigate a significant career transition, and I believe his advice set me on a path that is best for both myself and the company. His strategic advice and deep understanding of the tech landscape make him an outstanding coach for anyone in a technical leadership role.”

Marcin, Tech Team Lead

“Adam stands out with his technical knowledge, ability to anticipate problems, and deep empathy. Thanks to his support, I developed both my technical and leadership skills. His experience and approach added real value — to both the project and the team.”

Where to Start

Start where you are. Build from there.

👣 New to The CTO Playbook? → Check out the podcast and sign up to our newsletter.

📈 Need structure and clarity? → Join CTO Basecamp

🧭 Ready to lead with strategy? → Join a peer group with CTO Elevate

🔥 Facing a high-stakes challenge? → Book 1:1 coaching with CTO Ascent

Get Started with Coaching

Explore More Ways to Grow

The CTO Playbook Podcast

Learn from top CTOs & industry experts

Real stories, hard-earned lessons, and expert strategies — so you can skip the mistakes and accelerate your leadership journey.

🎙️ Featuring top CTOs, unicorn builders, and industry experts
🎙️ Insights from CEOs, CPOs, recruiting leaders, and book authors
🎙️ No fluff — just actionable playbooks and leadership strategies for CTOs

Each episode is designed to help you lead, grow, and make an impact.

Listen to the Podcast

The CTO Playbook Community

A network for CTOs

An application-only community where CTOs and senior leaders in tech share real challenges, gain insights, and access exclusive coaching.

🔹 Exclusive discussions on leadership, scaling, and strategy.
🔹 Peer support & expert insights from seasoned CTOs.
🔹 Live Q&As, behind-the-scenes content, and private learning areas.

You don’t have to navigate leadership alone.

Coming soon

Why work with Adam Horner?

With 30+ years in tech, Adam is a CTO, repeat startup founder, and experienced coach. He’s helped startup, scaleup, and enterprise CTOs navigate growth, leadership challenges, and high-stakes decisions — without the trial-and-error.

A coach who understands your CTO journey

✅ Current CTO & serial Founder with hands-on experience.
✅ Specialised in leadership, strategy, and scaling teams.
✅ Has helped hundreds of tech leaders transform their leadership style.

Find the coaching path that fits you

Take the next step on your CTO journey

✅ Coaching tailored to your biggest leadership challenges
✅ Real-world insights from experienced CTOs & founders
✅ A high-trust community of senior leaders in tech

Explore the Coaching Platform