Entrepreneurs and those who work with entrepreneurs know that most do not pay themselves the salary that they would have to pay someone else to do the same work.

The familiar trope of a founder who does not take a salary for the first three years is well known, and even respected as a sacrifice to get a new venture started. This may work well for entrepreneurs with a financial safety net, or those who can reasonably stay on a friend’s couch or otherwise avoid expenses for those years. It does not work for entrepreneurs in demanding financial situations at the outset. READ MORE