I would ask two questions: • “What is the current market rate for a Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for a company of this size, in this industry, in this particu

I would ask two questions: • “What is the current market rate for a Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for a company of this size, in this industry, in this particular market?” • “Can a company of this size, in this industry, in this market exist profitably without a discounted CTO?” The first question you answer by doing a job search, and collecting samples of total compensation from other companies for comparison with what you’re getting now. The second question is a bit of a jab on my part, but also worth thinking about: Why should a company exist if it can not generate enough revenue to pay its employees a competitive compensation package? Should employees extend a subsidy to the business through a wage discount? What to they get in exchange for the discount? (Edit: e.g. a stake of the upside via shares.)