> Of course, the CTO option seems good in that case :-)
CTO typically means lots of travelling, which isn't really good if you're prioritizing your family (well, unless you can bring your family with you, and you probably can't).
At half the companies, the CTO is the head of all engineering, and at the other half, the CTO is responsible for evangelizing the technology. In both cases, but especially the latter, you are going to be the public face of the technical side of the company. Expect lots of travelling to conferences and other speaking engagements, and expect the sales team to call you in on sales trips to help sell the product to high-rolling customers. If your company has multiple offices around the world, you're also going to be expected to tour the offices as well.
All this time travelling is time you won't be spending with your family.
CTO typically means lots of travelling, which isn't really good if you're prioritizing your family (well, unless you can bring your family with you, and you probably can't).
At half the companies, the CTO is the head of all engineering, and at the other half, the CTO is responsible for evangelizing the technology. In both cases, but especially the latter, you are going to be the public face of the technical side of the company. Expect lots of travelling to conferences and other speaking engagements, and expect the sales team to call you in on sales trips to help sell the product to high-rolling customers. If your company has multiple offices around the world, you're also going to be expected to tour the offices as well.
All this time travelling is time you won't be spending with your family.