Founder money foundations
Paying yourself as a founder
What to take as salary, and when to stop quietly underpaying yourself.
How much should I pay myself as a founder?
Enough that money stress does not cloud your judgment, and no more. In the early days many founders underpay themselves to stretch runway, which is...
Is it a red flag to investors if I pay myself a proper salary?
No, within reason, and pretending otherwise helps no one. Investors do not want you distracted by money stress or burning out, and a founder who ca...
When is it okay to give myself a raise as a founder?
Tie a raise to what the business can carry, not to how long you have gone underpaid. A sensible trigger is when steady revenue or a fresh round mea...
Should I pay myself as salary or take dividends from my startup?
For most founders, a regular salary is the cleaner default. It gives you predictable personal cash flow, is a legitimate company expense, and build...
How do I pay myself when the company genuinely can't afford a salary yet?
Be honest that this is a temporary stretch, not a permanent way to run your life. If you can, cover your basics from a personal buffer you set asid...
When runway gets tight, should I cut my own salary before anyone else's?
Cutting your own pay first is a strong signal of commitment, and many founders do it, but do it with a plan rather than as a reflex. Trimming your ...
My co-founder and I put in different amounts of savings. Should our salaries reflect that?
Keep two things separate in your head. Salary is pay for the work you do now, so if you are both working full time it usually makes sense to draw s...
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