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 aside before starting, and treat that runway for yourself as seriously as the company's runway. If you are putting your own money in to keep the lights on, document it properly as a loan or capital rather than mixing it into personal spending, so your cap table and your finances both stay legible. Set a clear marker, a revenue level or a round, at which you begin paying yourself even a small salary, and write it down so it does not slip forever. Avoid funding your life on high-interest credit. Any money you inject or later draw has tax and accounting implications, and those rules change, so confirm the cleanest structure with a CA before you rely on it.