We started paying ourselves essentially rent+ramen.. The advice I was given when I raised my first round was to pay myself a salary that meant I could focus on

We started paying ourselves essentially rent+ramen.. The advice I was given when I raised my first round was to pay myself a salary that meant I could focus on growing the business without worrying about personal financial stuff. It was spot on. All your energy should be going on the business. Anyone trying to minimize their spend to the point they can't eat properly, or paying themselves a salary high enough to have a serious impact on runway, would be a major red flag.