As a point, I think it is good to look at companies that operate without CTOs. A good example is Canva, which reached a $1b valuation last year. It was started

As a point, I think it is good to look at companies that operate without CTOs. A good example is Canva, which reached a $1b valuation last year. It was started by Mel and Cliff, who were non-technical and they brought on Cameron, who has some technical chops, but is a Product Manager (and now CPO). They started hiring technical talent, but didn't get a CTO. They still don't have a CTO, they have technical leaders and I believe someone who essentially acts as the CTO, but it isn't something they feel they need. And remember, this is a technical company that was founded by non-technical founders. At ayvri.com, we're a bit different, we have 4 tech people on the team (of 4) and I brought up the idea of having a CTO with the team, they all agreed that they wanted to maintain the flat structure that we have and felt the position unnecessary. Maybe the question that needs to be answered is, what companies do require a CTO position? When? Rather than assuming every company should have one.