On: Poll: As a founder, what is your salary?

[noodle]

> So I'm curious. Founders, how many of you truly take no salary?

I currently take no salary. The company is profitable and we're looking to hire soon, but my co-founder and I promised to not take any salary for a predetermined length of time in order to gather some padding in our company bank account.

It's just an easy way to invest in your own company without actually transferring money.

Edit: We will be drawing salary eventually. Its just a transitional phase, and that is probably the case with most startups. You pay yourself nothing for a little while until you make money. Once you earn/raise some money, you pay yourself.

[eieio → noodle]

Thanks for the response: this is exactly what I was looking for.

So in the meantime, how do you get by? Are you working another job? Did you save up before starting the company?

[noodle → eieio]

Saved up.

Edit: I also wanted to note that it really is important for a founder to take a salary eventually.

Specifically, its a risk to the company. You shouldn't be putting yourself in a place to have money problems, nor should you be putting yourself in a place to have to make decisions about the company through the lens of your dire financial straits.