Article · ~2,500 words

Personal Finance for Startup Founders

Dylan Eastwood & Ankur Nagpal · Hampton (joinhampton.com) Free Intermediate

A practical, founder-written primer on the money side of going full-time, how to think about your own finances so a lean personal runway doesn't quietly sink the company. Grounded advice from a founder (Carry's Ankur Nagpal) rather than generic finance blogspam.

• Spend minimal time optimizing personal finance early, protect your attention for the product, but get the basics right.
• Avoid premature optimization; set up simple, sane financial defaults before you quit.
• Understand the structural and tax basics (equity, incorporation) so your leap doesn't create expensive surprises later.
• Design your personal finances so your runway matches the company's, not the other way around.