Can you discuss an instance where you, as a CTO, had to manage risk in a technology project?

How To Approach: Associate

  1. Discuss real-life project involving risk assessment.
  2. Describe the identified risks and consequences.
  3. Explain your contribution to risk management.
  4. Share the outcome and learning gathered from that experience.

Sample Response: Associate

As a software engineer at VizTech, a major part of my role was dealing directly with technologies that were inherently risky because of their novelty and untested nature. One such instance was during our development of a blockchain-based finance system. The project's risk factors included data security threats, potential regulatory conflicts, and the unpredictable volatility of blockchain itself.

Working closely with a group of developers and project managers, we tackled each risk one by one. For data security, we employed a public key infrastructure to encrypt sensitive information. We also sought legal advice to deal with regulatory issues and included a clause in our terms of service to account for blockchain's volatility. This experience taught me the importance of comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation in handling technology projects, and helped me develop skills that I continue to use today.