You're meant to move as fast as possible and as long as your salary doesn't excessively drain the budget, it should be on the higher end of what is the payscale

You're meant to move as fast as possible and as long as your salary doesn't excessively drain the budget, it should be on the higher end of what is the payscale of the company. If you as the person with the most duties in the company can't afford a _comfortable_ life (and I take it for granted that pre-incorporation/raise that was anyway the case), you're probably working under your usual efficiency. If any investor says otherwise, just don't take that money. It makes no sense.