At this level, your job as CTO stretches into corporate development. You’re not just growing teams—you’re shaping the future footprint of the company through acquisitions and market bets. The key shift is this: you’re expected to spot, evaluate, and even lead opportunities that don’t start inside your walls. Technology is a growth lever, and you’re holding part of the steering wheel.
You need to think like a product person, an operator, and a dealmaker—often in the same conversation. When the board asks about gaps in the company’s capabilities, they’re also asking what tech-led paths could fill them. That’s your cue.
When you’re sidelined from these conversations, you’re not stretching—you’re shrinking. And the org pays the price later.
You’re a core part of evaluating not just the feasibility of acquisitions or partnerships—but the thesis behind them. You bring technical insight to the deal table and product intuition to the integration plan. You know how to spot value, not just overhead.
You’ve helped build a systematic approach to scanning the market for complementary capabilities, and you’ve shaped the tech roadmap in ways that allow for clean absorption when a deal lands. Your team has clear protocols for diligence, integration, and risk analysis—so you can say “yes” or “no” from a position of clarity, not gut feel.
And maybe most importantly: you help the company walk away from flashy deals that don’t compound your strengths.