Founders work for free because they're investing, taking a risk like all investments. If they lose the bet, they lose. No harm, no foul. That's true of any inve

Founders work for free because they're investing, taking a risk like all investments. If they lose the bet, they lose. No harm, no foul. That's true of any investment you and I make. People lose money on investments every day. There are a lot concepts being not very well defined here: employment, investing, taxation, salaries. It's not all one thing. What is it that you think "we" are having both ways?