Unless you really want to leave -- and it sounds like you don't -- I would think your best strategy would be to negotiate a reduced role. Get together with the

Unless you really want to leave -- and it sounds like you don't -- I would think your best strategy would be to negotiate a reduced role. Get together with the owners and figure out, of all the things you're doing, which are critical and can't be delegated. Maybe one of the newer engineers can take on team leader responsibilities. Or, maybe they need to find another VP of Engineering and let you be team leader, or even go back to an individual contributor role. Unless there are hard feelings involved -- and you haven't said anything to that effect -- I think, surely something can be worked out here.