There have been no CTOs at the companies you have been working at? I would think that in small companies the architect duties fall to the CTO. Obviously things

There have been no CTOs at the companies you have been working at? I would think that in small companies the architect duties fall to the CTO. Obviously things vary though...if you have never had an architect, I think you are the architect hehe. No one builds a house by feeling it out one step at a time.