For Technology Leaders

Prove your value, increase your salary

Are you tired of opinions, not data, deciding your worth?

As the CIO, CTO or IT Manager in your organisation, you work hard. You have myriad responsibilities, you’re handling them well and the business is growing rapidly as a result. That performance deserves to be rewarded.

However, at performance review time your manager says, “you’re performing in line with expectations”, or “you’re doing ok, but so is everyone else in our industry” or “your budget is so large that we’d expect that level of progress. “

The manager’s response is not based on objective data – it’s just an opinion, but to be fair, so is your view of your exceptional performance!

StackUp provides an independent set of objective performance metrics you can use to prove your value and justify that next salary increase or bonus:
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30-minute assessment to identify areas of high performance, and areas for improvement
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Get a comprehensive, unbiased report  (that even non technical stakeholders will understand) in under 24 hours
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Track performance improvement over time to prove your impact
Dashboard displaying StackUp's customer score and ratings, highlighting technology leadership and innovation metrics.

The real challenges in proving your value

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Lack of objective data

There are so many areas technology leaders are responsible for: legacy systems, shadow IT, cyber, network, training, innovation etc but there’s a lack of high level objective data on the performance of those sections. Sure there are fragmented point solutions with bits of this data, but none that give C-level executives an objective view of technology performance.

Much of what technology leaders deliver is below the surface

Improved resilience, increased reliability, technical debt reductions, or increases in efficiency are often below the surface. What C-Level executives can’t see, they’re less likely to value, leading to over-rating of the impact of new feature releases and innovation, and an under-rating of reducing risks and putting the right fundamentals in place that ultimately drive innovation and long term growth.

Difficult to track impact over time

There’s so much going on, so many projects, and operational issues to handle, even as the technology leader it’s difficult to form an objective view of the impact you’re having over time. With the pace of change so rapid - what did I do yesterday let alone three weeks ago? And even more difficult to demonstrate that to others.

Leadership don’t understand technology operations

Other C-Level executives often have a limited understanding of technology – and fair enough, that’s why you’re there as the technology leader! But they are often responsibility for evaluating your performance, so having at least a high level understanding of the technology fundamentals is critical to your success (and the size of your salary/bonus!).

Without StackUp

Salary decisions made based on opinions not grounded in objective data
Diagram demonstrating how other assessments are inconsistent, incomplete and biased to sell services
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Prepare your own set of information

Pull together a bunch of data to support the case that you’re doing a great job, and that you deserve a salary increase. This takes a lot of time, taking you away from driving improvements for the business. It’s also usually viewed by management as biased – of course you’re going to share the information that suggests you’re an all-time superstar performer!
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Rely on your manager’s perspective

Most managers have good intent, but most also don’t have your level of understanding of what’s going on in the technology function. Without objective data, it’s a bit of a guess at the best of times.
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Engage an external consultant

Bringing in a highly paid external consultant to assess the performance of the technology function can drain the budget, and take you and your team’s focus off doing what’s most important. And the end result is often a report suggesting that you engage their organisation’s services to fix any gaps identified.

How StackUp helps you succeed

Justify your next salary raise with 50 objective metrics
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Save time, and get independent metrics

An independent set of metrics vetted by some of the world’s best CTO’s/CIO’s that you and your manager can understand. 

Save 30+ hours preparing reports with StackUp’s comprehensive assessment that takes less than 30 minutes.
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Ensure your performance deserves that raise

The report identifies hidden dangers the organisation was not previously aware of and opportunities for improvement including cyber risks, cost savings and innovation improvements. It also helps prioritise these issues.

Most technology leaders are stronger in some areas than others (eg a leader from a software development background may be great at innovation, but not networking or risk management, another may be great at security, but not vendor management or staff & training).
StackUp helps technology leaders fill in the gaps. Its 50 specific questions and algorithm are comprehensive and cover the entirety of the technology function including:
  • Data Security & Privacy
  • Innovation & Strategy
  • Staff & Training
  • Technology Performance
  • Cloud & Network
  • Risk Management
  • Policies & Procedures
  • Vendor Management
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Demonstrate your impact to non technical stakeholders with clarity

The comprehensive report can be distributed within 24 hours to your CEO, board or investors to create an aligned understanding of your performance – an agreed understanding of the facts, enabling informed decisions.
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Prove your value over time

The risk of recency bias is real (eg your manager overindexing on the importance of a minor outage that occurred last week). StackUp helps inform better decision making, as the StackUp score can be used to track the impact you’ve made over time. Sure the technology function may not be at peak performance yet, but if you’ve taken the technology function from dumpster fire to stable in a short period of time that is a significant (and valuable) contribution.

Get started free, in under 10 minutes

You don’t need to prepare anything, just answer the questions based on your current understanding. You’ll be emailed your personalised free report and a sample of the comprehensive StackUp report.

It's fast, free and confidential.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the complexities of planning, budgeting and hiring – we’ve got your back.
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Case studies

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Telecommunications Organisation

Identified 5 critical issues, and 15 improvements they added directly into their roadmap within 24 hours.
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Cybersecurity Organisation

Identified 2 critical issues, and saved over $20,000 annually.
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Hospitality Organisation

Identified 3 cyber security risks that could have broken the business.
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SaaS Organisation

Prepared for seamless technology due diligence in advance of acquisition.
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Construction and Real Estate

StackUp delivered a clear, comprehensive assessment, helping the tech leader effectively present their position and challenges to non-technical stakeholders.
Read more
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Education

StackUp provided independent validation with minimal disruption to business operations, offering insights without unnecessary expense or wasted time.
Read more

What our clients are saying

The insights and recommendations on where our technology needed improvement were so clear & useful we fed them directly into our backlog for actioning.
Andrew Smith, CTO at Launtel

Andrew Smith

CTO @ Launtel

StackUp helped us identify critical risks in our tech infrastructure, including future obstacles to scaling. They provided clear priorities to mitigate those risks - essential in securing our technology and ensuring we’re prepared for growth and corporate engagements.
Image of Dhruv Jolly, Founder and CEO at TapOnn

Dhruv Jolly

Founder & CEO @ TapOnn

A really helpful product to give context to CEOs, CTOs and Founders to validate where they are up to and where they can improve.
Mark Lynch

Mark Lynch

CTO & Founder @ Learnosity

StackUp provided us with invaluable insights helping us to identify opportunities for improvement. The recommendations in the report along with the insights and verification service have been a game changer for driving our tech strategy forward.
Image of Cody Harmon, Founder and CEO of Cruz

Cody Harmon

Founder & CEO @ Cruz

You don’t know what you don’t know even when you are the best in your game, StackUp's assessment unveiled crucial blind spots and areas for enhancement. The report's clarity and depth provided us with valuable, actionable insights for continuous improvement
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Ajay Unni

Founder & CEO @ StickmanCyber

We're a scaleup focused on rapid innovation and feature development. StackUp helped us find opportunities to make our offering more robust without sacrificing speed.
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Rafael Niesten

Co-Founder @ Proptech Labs

Preparing for our next fundraise, StackUp's report identified critical areas for improvement and independent validation of our strengths. The insights and verification service provided tailored advice to revise our strategy and enabled us to approach future investment discussions with confidence. Strongly recommend these guys.
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David Hayes

CEO @ Babeltext

The StackUp assessment is comprehensive and fast. It provided insights enabling us to uplift our technology quickly.
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Justus Hammer

Co-Founder & CEO @ Mad Paws

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You're in good company

FAQs

What makes StackUp different?

StackUp provides a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of technology and technology function processes, including strategy, employee engagement, service delivery, and innovation—not just security and compliance.

Our platform provides human-led, actionable insights, and supports informed decision making at every level, from Technology Leaders, to C-Level Executive to Board Members and Investors.

What if my technology leader makes a mistake on the assessment or doesn't know all the answers?

The assessment is designed to support accurate submissions regardless of knowledge level with "Don't Know" options ensuring no one feels pressured to guess.

This gap in knowledge being identified is valuable - a gap in knowledge which can be addressed through our insights and recommendations.

Who can benefit from using StackUp?

Technology leaders, C-level executives, board members and venture capital and private equity investors from companies of all sizes will find value in StackUp. It’s especially beneficial for those looking to identify areas for improvement, justify budget requests, and enhance overall technology performance.

How secure is our data with StackUp?

We employ robust security measures to ensure that all user data is encrypted, securely stored, and only accessible by authorised personnel. For any comparative purposes, all data is aggregated and anonymised to protect your privacy and confidentiality.

Will StackUp's assessment identify a bunch of problems that are going to cost a fortune and take ages to fix?

StackUp's assessment will identify any gaps in the fundamental technology health of your organisation.

However, most of these problems are relatively fast and cost effective to fix, and have an enormously positive impacts on the organisation: risk reduction, cost reduction, efficiency improvements, security improvements etc.

The StackUp algorithm provides a prioritised list of items to improve so you don't have to boil the ocean - tackle one high priority item at a time and resubmit to track your improvement. You can do this internally, or leverage our independent network of specialist suppliers.

The assessment is balanced - so it also highlights areas that are performing well and that should be celebrated.

How does StackUp relate to SOC 2, ISO, and other certifications and frameworks?

StackUp complements frameworks like SOC 2 and ISO by providing a broader perspective on technology maturity.

While certifications focus on meeting compliance and security standards, StackUp bridges the gap between compliance and excellence.

It helps organisations prepare for certifications by identifying areas that need improvement and offering actionable recommendations, making the certification process smoother and more efficient.

For certified organisations, StackUp delivers additional value through benchmarking, tailored insights, and practical guidance aligned with business goals.

By fostering continuous improvement, innovation, and scalability, StackUp enhances the value of certifications and aligns technology capabilities with broader business objectives.

While it does not replace formal certifications, it strengthens the foundation for achieving and maintaining them.

Does StackUp do source code reviews?

No. StackUp is focused on technology foundations including strategy, and operational excellence, governance and risk management, not line-by-line code quality (code quality isn't helpful if the strategy is flawed).

Our assessments help decision makers: C-Level Executives, Board Members, Technology Leaders and Investors identify and mitigate strategic, operational and security risks - the areas that cause real business pain. 

Most code reviews are subjective and depend on specific languages/frameworks and developer opinions. StackUp is fiercely platform independent, helping leaders make objective, high level technology decisions that drive results. 

If you require a code review, we can connect you with a specialist from our community of independent service providers

Why should I use StackUp if my technology function is already performing well or if I am already addressing a few known issues?

Even if your technology function is performing well or you are actively working on a few known issues, StackUp helps you verify and showcase your excellence. By benchmarking against industry best practices and peers, you can uncover hidden strengths, validate your strategies, and gain certification that highlights your leadership.

StackUp also identifies 'unknown unknowns'—potential risks or opportunities you may not have considered—ensuring you stay ahead of the competition and continuously improve. Every technology leader is on a journey of improvement. While you may excel in areas like software development or cloud infrastructure, there may be gaps in others, such as data privacy or training. StackUp provides a holistic view of your entire technology function, enabling informed decisions and giving you the credit you deserve for your progress and performance.

Does the StackUp platform perform source code reviews?

No. StackUp is focused on technology foundations including strategy, and operational excellence, governance and risk management, not line-by-line code quality.

Our assessments help decision makers: C-Level Executives, Board Members, Technology Leaders and Investors identify and mitigate strategic, operational and security risks - the areas that cause real business pain. 

Most code reviews are subjective and depend on specific languages/frameworks and developer opinions (and code quality is not particularly helpful if the strategy is flawed). StackUp is fiercely platform independent, helping leaders make objective, high level technology decisions that drive results. 

If you require a code review, our community of independent service providers can assist - contact us and we'd be happy to connect you with a trusted specialist in your language.

Will the StackUp platform review my tech stack?

No. StackUp focuses on technology governance, risk management and operational resilience, not evaluating specific programming languages, frameworks or tools. While the tech stack matters, it's rarely the root cause of major technology failures - poor leadership, security gaps, vendor lock-in and lack of risk management are. 

There's no universal "best tech stack" as the right choice depends on your business goals, scalability and security needs, team and hiring ability etc. Instead of saying "Use this stack" StackUp ensures your decision making process is solid so whatever stack you choose services your business effectively. 

Choosing the right tools is a tactical decision - StackUp helps you ensure your technology governance, risk management and operational strategy set you up for long term success.

Is StackUp just for assessing technology companies or can it be used on any company?

While technology companies benefit from StackUp, our platform is valuable for any organisation that uses technology to operate, innovate, or serve customers (so most companies, not just 'technology companies'.

StackUp helps CEOs, Boards, Technology Leaders and Investors across all industries assess their technology foundations, identify risks, and prioritise improvements—whether you’re in finance, healthcare, retail, education, or any other sector.

If technology is important to your business, StackUp can help you strengthen it.

Still have questions?