> So the CEO can sit on his hands the whole time the product is developed, but then does reap huge gains. I think this is almost always false. And I say this a

> So the CEO can sit on his hands the whole time the product is developed, but then does reap huge gains. I think this is almost always false. And I say this as someone who has worked with many startups, and who has been both a lead engineer and a CTO. I have seen so many startups fail because either: 1. They cannot talk to customers, or 2. They cannot close deals. It is absolutely shocking how many startups have put in 3 years of heroic engineering effort, but still don't even know the job title of the person who would make the actual decision to buy their software. But if you have a non-technical CEO who can convince 10 potential customers to sign a non-binding letter of intent, then you're in the game. Take that a competent investor and they'll find you a CTO.