David runs every Beacon search personally, focused on permanent engineering leadership and specialist hires.
Companies use these titles almost interchangeably, and that's a mistake. The real difference isn't the title, it's what stage of company is asking, and what the role actually owns.
Which one you needCommon at pre-Series-B companies as the first dedicated engineering leadership hire. Often still hands-on technically, closer to the code and architecture, managing a smaller team directly.
More common at Series B and beyond, when engineering has grown past what one hands-on leader can manage directly. Owns org design, manager hiring, and cross-functional planning more than individual technical decisions.
The title on the job posting matters less than being honest about what stage you're actually at. A Series A company hiring a 'VP of Engineering' is often really looking for a Head of Engineering who can still code. Get the actual job right before you get the title right.
David runs every Beacon search personally, focused on permanent engineering leadership and specialist hires.
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