As a start-up founder, you are used to wearing many hats. 

However, many founders realize that playing the role of a CTO is not their cup of tea.  As you look to solve this problem, you are faced with a dilemma.  Start the hunt for a qualified CTO and discover that many candidates are wary of joining early-stage startups. And if they do agree they are very expensive and beyond the budget for most early-stage start-ups.  The other option may be to find a co-founder with the required skills. However, this leaves you with an even more difficult decision. Parting with a large chunk of your equity.