Tech Bosses: The New Power Couple in AI-Driven Companies

In today's tech world, CTOs are becoming more important than ever. They're not just working with other top executives like marketing and finance chiefs. Now, they're also teaming up with CEOs to drive innovation and growth. This shift is happening because AI and other smart technologies are becoming a big deal in businesses. CTOs are helping CEOs see the potential of AI beyond just fun stuff, like making funny images for presentations. They're showing bosses how AI can actually help build better companies. Take Cloudflare, for example. Their CTO, Dane Knecht, pushed the CEO, Matthew Prince, to use AI in meaningful ways. Prince says the best CTOs are those who can convince even older CEOs to embrace new tech. This teamwork is crucial for companies to stay competitive.At BairesDev, a software development company, the CEO, Nacho De Marco, agrees. He says when the CEO and CTO are on the same page, things usually go well. Clients see AI as essential for the future, and this alignment helps drive success. Knecht started at Cloudflare as a product manager and later led the company's innovation unit. Prince gave this team 10% of the budget to explore new ideas, even if they challenged the existing business model. This bold move helped Cloudflare grow beyond being just a content delivery network. Prince and Knecht have a unique dynamic. Knecht says Prince always pushes him to think bigger. This ambition has been key to Cloudflare's growth and success.