Chris Rote

Inspirer
DISC Type : id

Head of Engineering at Kintsugi

Austin, Texas, United States

Overview

Chris Rote is an engineering leader with experience scaling teams at mission-driven startups like Kintsugi and Esper. His expertise lies in product engineering and leveraging AI to automate complex processes like global sales tax. People who have worked with him describe him as an innovative and trusted adviser who learns new technologies quickly. He holds a Bachelor of Science from The University of Texas at Austin.

Based on his writing, he values a strong, collaborative team culture that extends beyond the office. He has a history of taking calculated career risks, such as leaving a stable corporate job for a startup, to pursue work he finds inspiring and to accelerate his professional growth. He is based in the Austin, Texas area.

He recently left his position as Head of Engineering to pursue a new and "personally meaningful opportunity. "

Personality Overview

Generous

Fast Adopter

Charming & Persuasive

They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials.  They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something. They usually prefer to drive the conversation.

Topics They Care About

Engineering Leadership
He has a track record of progressing from Engineer to Head of Engineering and has posted publicly about hiring and building his teams.
AI in FinTech
His most recent role involved leading a team that automates global sales tax for companies using artificial intelligence.
Mission-Driven Startups
He has written about his decision to leave a larger company to join a startup because he was inspired by its mission to innovate in the policy space.

Media Appearances

Chris has no verified media appearances

Work History

7-2025
Head of Engineering at Kintsugi
8-2024 - 7-2025
Engineering Manager at Kintsugi
10-2022 - 8-2024
Director of Product Engineering at Esper
7-2022 - 7-2024
Technical Advisor at Shopswap
4-2021 - 10-2022
Engineering Manager - Product Engineering at Esper

Education

2009 - 2013
Bachelor of Science (BS) from The University of Texas at Austin
Education details unavailable from The University of Texas at Austin

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : Austin, Texas, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Engineering at Kintsugi
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Insights For Selling To Chris

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Clearly address the competitive aspects
  • Get them to a point where they are ready to bat for your product internally
  • Keep your pitch focused on the impact but insert some anecdotes into it

DONT's

  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine
  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly
  • Don’t be very informal even if they are being so themselves

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Chris is

  • Belief in the value of the product, relationship and a sense of accomplishment matter the most.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Chris

  • They are not shy of saying no if they do not develop trust in your product.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Chris move?

  • They can take fast decisions if they develop conviction in the product and find you trustworthy.
  • Can Chris take some risk or not?

  • They have the capability of taking risky decisions if necessary.

You And Chris

Personality Compatibility


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