When pivoting a business model in response to market disruption, what should primarily guide your decision?

• Data-backed validation of long-term market viability and customer need

• Comfort and adaptability of current leadership and staff

• Alignment with emerging technological innovations

• The CEO's long-term vision, even if data is scarce

A competitor just launched a disruptive product that threatens your core business. What is your response in the first 48 hours?

• Release a media statement downplaying the threat to maintain investor confidence

• Rush an internal meeting to replicate the feature within weeks

• Launch a quiet task force to assess not just the product, but the shift in user expectations it represents

• Increase marketing spend to remind the market of your brand's legacy, maintain visibility, and emphasize its long-standing strength and reputation in the industry.

When entering a new international market with complex regulations and cultural differences, what's the most critical step?

• Hiring local leadership to replicate existing strategies

• Ensuring your business model is modular and adaptable across regions

• Underpricing competitors to quickly gain market share

• Copying successful local competitors' methods

What shows a strong CEO decision-making trait?

• Delegating all hard decisions

• Making bold decisions backed by data and team input

• Always playing safe

• Letting the board make all significant decisions and guide the overall direction of the company.

Your company's growth has stalled, but customer retention is high. What does this indicate, and what should you prioritize?

• Users love the product - invest in marketing and new acquisition channels

• Cut down features to reduce costs

• Begin internal restructuring

• Your product has peaked - start exploring new industries

A breakthrough AI framework is gaining global attention, and your team is buzzing with excitement. What's the best first step before deciding to use it?

• Adopt it right away to stay trendy

• Let junior devs experiment while others focus on current tasks

• Study its strengths and see if it aligns with your product needs and tech roadmap

• Ignore it - trends fade

A surprise feature launch leads to a flood of user activity - and your system buckles under pressure. What most likely reveals a deeper architectural flaw?

• The frontend was optimized more than backend performance

• The platform relied on manual scaling instead of automation

• The product team didn't limit the rollout geographically

• Marketing failed to align timelines with engineering

You're forming the core development team. The product roadmap includes rapid pivots, experimental features, and tight deadlines. What hiring approach sets you up best?

• Focus on candidates who learn fast, communicate well, and thrive in uncertainty

• Outsource non-core tasks to reduce management load

• Letting the board make all significant decisions and steer the company's strategic direction.

• Choose developers who follow instructions well to avoid errors

Which of these is a CTO's key responsibility in a startup?

• Product-market fit

• Marketing strategy

• Choosing and maintaining the technology stack

• Approving employee leave

What should be the top focus when building the first version of a product?

• Testing everything for weeks before showing anyone

• Making the design look beautiful

• Building a strong base and improving it quickly

• Writing long internal notes