> CEO, he basically acknowledged it's a problem and put it on me to bring it up with the CTO however I see fit.
This is the problem, I wouldn't call myself an expert in leadership, but if your CEO doesn't have the emotional fortitude to bring this up with the CTO it is a leadership fail. If your leadership team cannot have candid feedback with each other is it not going to work out well.
I have no idea how big your startup is besides the engineering staff you said and where exactly you fit into the org chart (VP of Engineering -> P of Engineering -> CTO?), but being a leader means holding other leaders accountable.
This is the problem, I wouldn't call myself an expert in leadership, but if your CEO doesn't have the emotional fortitude to bring this up with the CTO it is a leadership fail. If your leadership team cannot have candid feedback with each other is it not going to work out well.
I have no idea how big your startup is besides the engineering staff you said and where exactly you fit into the org chart (VP of Engineering -> P of Engineering -> CTO?), but being a leader means holding other leaders accountable.