CTO vs VP Engineering: Stop Blurring the Lines
- Kjell Moens
- May 8
- 1 min read
Founders ask me:
“Can’t one person just do both?”
Maybe early on.
But if you’re scaling, the difference matters.
Here’s the simplest way to think about it:
The CTO is your head of “why + what’s next.”
The VP Engineering is your head of “how + how fast.”
The CTO thinks in roadmaps, architecture, bets.
They explore new tech, unblock product strategy, and design for scale.
The VP Eng builds the engine to deliver—at speed and with quality.
They lead execution, grow managers, run sprints, manage headcount.
Both roles are essential.
Confusing the two leads to overengineering, misaligned teams, or burnout at the top.
If you’ve got one person doing both, that’s fine for now.
But don’t wait too long to split it.
Vision and velocity need different kinds of leadership.
Seen this play out in your startup?
Drop a comment - or send a DM if you’re navigating it right now.
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