Then I'd be fine with clear communication among all senior executives, so that HIS boss in turn doesn't believe the team is going to deliver the paper goal, and

Then I'd be fine with clear communication among all senior executives, so that HIS boss in turn doesn't believe the team is going to deliver the paper goal, and later gold the CTO to it. If there are two different sets of requirements (Paper requirements and actual requirements) then it's pretty important that the whole C-suite agrees what the team will be held to delivering. Otherwise you are going to see the CEO breathing down the neck of the CTO once the project fails to meet the paper goals. Next thing you know, it's "pizza night" for the team.