A CTO who still builds.
I'm Chris Bartolo, from Malta. I studied computer science and AI at the University of Malta and software engineering at the University of Hertfordshire, but I learned most of what I know by running things.
I've led teams of 40 and teams of over 100. I've been through two exits, regulator audits, an interim CEO role in a family business, and the long nights that come with all of those.
I still write code every week. That keeps my advice honest: I know what it costs to build the thing I'm recommending.
Web SummitWhere I've done it before.
Wildz Group, formerly Rootz.
Lead development, DevOps and SRE, QA, data and BI, product and payments for an operator of multiple online casinos licensed across several jurisdictions. Leaner teams, AI in everyday work and in the product, every deadline hit.
Yipii.
Founded a new fleet, IoT and mobility company and built it from scratch: the platform, the apps, the brand and the business model. AI now helps us deliver faster.
StopChurn.
Built a customer data and marketing automation platform to compete with Customer.io and Klaviyo. Since exited.
DeusX Capital.
Part of the formation of DeusX Capital, the family office that grew out of Red Acre Group. Supported and advised its companies on technology.
Red Acre Group.
Took over an engineering organisation that had not released in nine months and got it to 20+ releases a day. Led the teams behind Netrios, FunderPro, TradeLocker and I'm Red.
Zeply.
Kept a crypto business stable and shipping through its transition to new ownership.
FunderPro.
Designed and scaled a prop-trading platform for B2B and B2C, then hired the CTO to take it forward.
Run It Once.
Took a poker platform from unreleasable to live, through UKGC and MGA audits, and through its acquisition by Rush Street Interactive.
Blexr.
Brought 400+ affiliate sites onto one CMS, introduced Git and led the move to SAFe.
Shanelty.
Stepped in to lead a family business, grew turnover and took it through an acquisition.
Developer, consultant and teacher.
Built websites, marketing designs and products such as kalendarju.com and TiBuDi with Storm Design Malta. Consulted for Euro Consulting EMEA, which led to developing the PokerLoco and CasinoLoco platforms. Built the audiovisual app and streaming for The Mdina Experience, taught at ICE Malta, and built websites and advised on technology for transport operators including UTS, UCS Malta, UBS, Malta Sightseeing and Focal Point Transport.
Dazzle Panel.
A vehicle tracking system I built at 17. It reached 600 vehicles in its first year and served transport operators across Malta for 15 years.
Stop starting, start finishing.
On why teams look busy but nothing ships
We don't solve a problem by throwing people at it.
On hiring as a default fix
No heroics. Heroics work at the last minute, but it's not the way we should do things.
On sustainable delivery
Outside work: a coffee habit that got out of hand, a golden retriever called Eddie, and too many side projects.