Sacrificing salary for equity can be a good move, but founders should pay themselves enough to stay motivated and out of debt.
If your startup salary is allowing you to save money, it's probably not good, but if it's giving you the lifestyle to be all in on your startup, then it is good.
Sacrificing salary for equity can be pennywise pound foolish, so consider the right answer for each situation.
Founders should pay themselves enough to stay motivated and out of debt, while also keeping money in the company.
Salary is for living and equity is for upside, which is an effective philosophy for rationing scarce resources.
Take time to reflect on failure, and don't let it lead to sacrificing relationships, savings, or comfort.
Choose the right peer group to hang out with, as it can be predictive of how you will handle setbacks.
Founders should use therapy and medication to manage stress and disruption, instead of relying on other crutches.
Don't give up when facing failure, examine the facts and look at the positives.
Sometimes it's best to stop and not mess up your life in a permanent way, even if it means failing and hurting people.
You don't have to sacrifice relationships, savings, or comfort to win.
People can be taken advantage of by those who offer services or promise to connect with investors, especially non-technical founders, but failure doesn't mean they failed and the experiences are valuable.