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Fractional CTO Guide: Scaling Teams with Personality Assessments

As a CTO who’s guided tech teams through complex projects, I’ve learned that understanding people is as critical as understanding code. Early in my career, I used the Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI), a personality assessment that reshaped how I approached team dynamics. It’s effective but expensive. Then I found The Seven Primal Questions by Mike Foster, which offers similar insights at a fraction of the cost. In this post, I’ll compare these tools, explain their value for scaling engineering teams, and share why Foster’s book is my go-to for boosting people skills affordably, plus how my work as a Fractional CTO ties it all together.

Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI): The Enterprise Solution


Developed by Elias H. Porter in 1971, the SDI builds on psychologist Erich Fromm’s work on interpersonal relationships and motivations. It uses an anchor and buoy metaphor: your core motives—what drives your decisions—are the anchor, rooted deep in the seafloor, representing the steady you. Your daily behavior is the buoy, shifting with life’s currents. The SDI maps these motives into three categories: people-oriented (helping others), performance-oriented (achieving goals), or process-oriented (maintaining order).
In high-pressure settings, where miscommunication can stall a sprint or sink a ship, the SDI excels. I’ve seen it help engineers understand their differences and work better together. Its detailed reports and team workshops are great for aligning teams, especially hyper-growth companies. However, it’s costly, often tens of thousands for HR to implement. Its facilitator training, while thorough, is designed for corporate HR programs, limiting access for smaller teams or individuals.

The Seven Primal Questions: Affordable and Versatile


Mike Foster’s The Seven Primal Questions focuses on your core motive, or primal question—things like “Am I safe?” “Am I valued?” or “Can I succeed?” Rooted in childhood experiences, these questions shape your actions, much like the SDI’s Motivational Value System. Understanding your Primal Question reveals why you or your team behaves as you do. For about $15, you get the book and a free online assessment—no HR budget needed.
Its accessibility sets it apart. Training from an expert facilitator is open to anyone—coaches, leaders, or individuals—not just HR professionals. This makes it ideal for startups, tech leads, or anyone aiming to improve communication, whether mentoring a junior dev or managing stakeholders. It’s less formal than SDI but just as practical, with applications in and out of the workplace.

A Personal Insight: Connecting SDI to Primal Questions


Both tools uncover what drives us, but Primal Questions adds emotional clarity that resonated with me. For years, I knew my wife was a “Blue” in SDI terms—people-oriented, focused on pleasing others. Her Primal Question, “Am I seen, heard, and loved?” tied her behavior to her childhood as the fourth child, craving attention. She uses this phrase to guide others in building relationships, subtly expressing her own need. That connection was eye-opening.
Mike Foster puts it well: when a parent says “be safe” to a child heading out, they’re often saying, “Keep me safe.” Primal Questions doesn’t just identify motives; it traces their roots, fostering empathy. This perspective has helped me align teams more effectively as a Fractional CTO.

Scaling Engineering Teams with People Skills


Scaling engineering teams isn’t just about hiring or tech stacks—it’s about aligning people. Miscommunication, clashing priorities, or onboarding new hires can slow growth. Both SDI and Primal Questions address these challenges by clarifying motives. For example, I’ve used SDI to help a product manager (performance-oriented) and an engineer (process-oriented) resolve conflicts during a sprint. With Primal Questions, I’ve coached a tech lead to understand a junior dev’s need to feel “valued,” boosting their confidence and output.
As a Fractional CTO, I use these tools to bridge gaps—between devs and execs, or strategy and execution. When scaling teams, understanding motives helps integrate new hires, align cross-functional groups, and maintain momentum. Primal Questions, with its affordability, is especially practical for startups or growing teams with limited budgets.

Comparing the Tools: Structure vs. Simplicity


SDI and Primal Questions both target core motives but differ in approach:
  • Cost and Access: SDI’s high cost and certified facilitators suit large organizations. Primal Questions is self-directed and affordable, needing only a book and an online assessment.
  • Scope: SDI is built for corporate team dynamics, shining in structured settings. Primal Questions applies broadly to work, leadership, and personal life.
  • Training: SDI’s training targets HR professionals. Primal Questions’ training is open to all, empowering leaders to share it freely.
  • Depth: SDI’s structured framework can feel complex, often needing expert guidance. Primal Questions is intuitive, tying motives to universal experiences.
SDI’s expert-led sessions are essential for its complexity, especially in workplaces. Primal Questions’ simplicity, rooted in childhood, makes it immediately relatable yet deeply insightful.

Why Choose The SDI


Distributed by Critical Learning, SDI is tailored for enterprise and government teams in high-stakes settings. Its structured approach and proven results make it ideal for organizations with HR budgets to invest in team alignment. If you’re scaling a large engineering team and have the resources, it’s a solid choice.

Why Choose The Seven Primal Questions


SDI is excellent, but its cost and corporate focus can be barriers for smaller teams or individuals. The Seven Primal Questions offers similar clarity in an affordable, approachable package. Whether you’re a CEO aligning a leadership team, a tech lead managing a scrum team, or someone connecting with coworkers, this book is a must. It's a free assessment and open training make it scalable for any leader.
As a Fractional CTO, I rely on people skills to unite teams and drive growth. Tools like these are invaluable for building trust and results in tech organizations. Primal Questions has sharpened my approach, blending clarity with empathy.

How CTOs Scale Engineering Teams


As a Fractional CTO, I help companies scale by aligning strategy, tech, and people. Using tools like SDI and Primal Questions, I’ve resolved conflicts, onboarded new engineers, and aligned distributed teams. For example, I worked with a startup to scale their engineering team from 4 contractors to 30 full-time employees, using Primal Questions to ensure new hires connected with their new teammates faster. These tools make scaling smoother and more human-centric.

Your Next Step


To scale your engineering team or boost leadership, start with The Seven Primal Questions. Buy the book, take the free assessment, and uncover your primal question. It’s a small investment with big returns. In tech, where collaboration fuels innovation, understanding people turns good teams into great ones.
Need help scaling your engineering team? As a Fractional CTO, I specialize in aligning teams and driving growth. Contact me to explore how we can elevate your tech organization together.