I became VP of Engineering in a pivot/refinancing. Later became CTO in another pivot/refinancing. Subsequently was offered both positions several times, mostly

I became VP of Engineering in a pivot/refinancing. Later became CTO in another pivot/refinancing. Subsequently was offered both positions several times, mostly when things were not going well, occasionally when just starting out. The CTO position is usually more outward-facing, with some limited ability to affect change internally. As CTO, it's useful to blog, speak-out, meet prospects, acting as a thought leader and technical evangelist. Some % of time can be devoted to future product concepts. As CTO, you would be expected to be familiar with your technology ecosystem and have a good sense of its tectonic forces and near term direction. If tea leaves need reading, your opinion would count heavily. The CTO role can be tricky to navigate. The easiest path internally is to be a resource to engineering, marketing and sales, offering to help each function, and communicating frequently. Dangers include being perceived as (1) sending messages not coordinated with marketing (2) stealing engineering resources (3) setting product/company directions independently. Good luck. It's a fun position ... if you don't mind not having control.