What They Don't Tell You About Being a CTO at a PE Portfolio Company

A PE CTO role becomes much clearer once you treat every technical decision as capital allocation against the hold period. The hard calls are triage: stabilize unit economics, cut costs, rank brand investments by risk-adjusted return, and translate architecture into EBITDA impact. If that sounds clarifying, the role can fit; if it sounds like a demotion, pass before the constraints surprise you.