What strategic questions should you ask executive leadership (VP of Eng / CTO) about company trajectory?

In Simple Words: Executive interviews test your macro-level perspective: demonstrate that you care about company unit economics, competitive advantages, and long-term technical vision.

High-Yield Questions to Ask:

1. "What is the company's primary strategic technical moat against competitors over the next 24 to 36 months?"
2. "As the engineering organization scales from 50 to 150 engineers, what is the biggest cultural or communication failure mode you are actively working to prevent?"
3. "How does the executive team evaluate the trade-off between investing in foundational platform infrastructure versus shipping short-term sales-driven custom features?"

Practical Script & Summary Template

### Executive Alignment Checklist:
- Demonstrates you think beyond your terminal and care about business survival and profitability.
- Reveals whether engineering is viewed as a **value creator and innovation engine** or merely an expensive **cost center**.