Since we're all echoing the same sentiments, I'll offer some concrete, smaller points:
>I wouldn't want them to tarnish my reputation as a young engineer completely new to the valley/startup world
You can join a more established "startup", with say, 100 or so employees, and build a track record there.
As for a "reason for leaving", you can simply tell them that you just can't make ends meet anymore. Money is almost always a credible motive, and is actually more amicable than say, "your product sucks and this ship is sinking, so I'm heading to a sexier pasture".
By the way, is it just me, or is the description of the CTO seem more appropriate for a BizDev Officer rather than a Technology Officer? I'd be deeply skeptical of a founding CTO who isn't involved in the product at all at such an early stage.
>I wouldn't want them to tarnish my reputation as a young engineer completely new to the valley/startup world
You can join a more established "startup", with say, 100 or so employees, and build a track record there.
As for a "reason for leaving", you can simply tell them that you just can't make ends meet anymore. Money is almost always a credible motive, and is actually more amicable than say, "your product sucks and this ship is sinking, so I'm heading to a sexier pasture".
By the way, is it just me, or is the description of the CTO seem more appropriate for a BizDev Officer rather than a Technology Officer? I'd be deeply skeptical of a founding CTO who isn't involved in the product at all at such an early stage.