I'm coming back to this late, but I think you've missed the point. >I could make up a salary for myself, but it would kind of be pulled out of thin air. The e

I'm coming back to this late, but I think you've missed the point. >I could make up a salary for myself, but it would kind of be pulled out of thin air. The exact value of your salary doesn't matter, it matters that you've factored something in so you can keep a roof over your head and feed yourself. By not factoring in your salary, you're painting yourself a rosey-er picture of your financial state than it actually is. By your current measure, your venture could be "in the black" yet you'd still be struggling to make ends meet. You need to see the picture as clear as possible. >all my other expenses are objective and quantifiable If you expect this of every expense, then you'll be in for a shock. Many business costs are not objective in the sense that you can rationally determine why exactly it costs X. Heck, pricing software is mainly an exercise in "what's it worth to you", rather than what it costs to actually develop it. If you need absolutely need a service and only one consultant can offer it, then chances are you'll have to pay what they ask, even if there's no objective rationale behind the costs other then that's what they charge. My point is that the business side requires a different mindset and perspective than the technology side. You've got to improve your business skills in the same way you'd improve your tech skills. It's not easy, but at a certain point your success will depend far more on your business acumen than it will your technological prowess.