Title: Note: I'm posting this under a different account than I normally use on HN because I want to remain anonymous.<p>For the last 2+ years I've been the CTO for a technically successful startup.  I have successfully navigated the company around some very real disasters and have built a highly dedicated tech team that has excelled at realizing the technical vision of the product; despite whatever curve balls have been thrown at us - externally or internally. In those two+ years, I've worn every hat one could wear (from IA to project management to product development to systems admin to front end development to back end development) and have worn those hats as well as I could.  We've staffed up to the point that I no longer am wearing as many hats, which I am grateful for, but still have a few key roles to fill, mostly in the project management category.<p>Several months ago, we hired a new CEO, whom I partially respect, but don't necessarily like.  As is typical, his first criticisms were aimed squarely at the tech team because the tech team is always the first to blame - despite the fact we've always done what we said we would when we said we would.  Obviously, as the only part of the company that produces tangibles, it's fairly easy to square operational issues on us.  I've fought those criticisms as well as I could, but have been unable to make him see the real problem is the front office's lack of vision and an inability to communicate clearly whatever vision they might have.  I've done the best I can given the sheer number of things I am required to do during the day, but, as anyone can correctly surmise, isn't the best I could do if I had a more singular focus.  It's really hard to context switch from installing nagios on our production servers to doing IA to doing project management; all within the span of a few hours, day after day.  It wears one down.<p>So he recommends we hire a VP of Engineering, which I agree to.  It makes sense.  Let that person run the process and let me focus on the bigger picture, architecture, product, etc.  But then I read the job description and notice the line where it says this role reports directly to the CEO.  Which means, since the entire tech staff is reporting to the VP of E, that I lose my staff.  When I bring this up with the CEO, he tells me that I should see this VPE as a peer.  Say what?  It's bad enough that I have to explain to employees that have been with the company for 2+ years they are going to have a new boss, but now that boss doesn't even report to me?<p>Am I being paranoid that I'm being marginalized for an ill-perceived picture of the tech team?  Is the CEO playing politics?  I'm at a complete loss.<p>Advice?
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