If you're 25 years old and have no college debt and no responsibilities of any kind, $50K may be enough to live on in SF or in the Valley. (Although probably no

If you're 25 years old and have no college debt and no responsibilities of any kind, $50K may be enough to live on in SF or in the Valley. (Although probably not without parental assistance, or some sweet group housing deal.) If you're 35 or 45, $100K or even $200K is not going to pay the mortgage and support a family. We clearly have seen some egregious examples of CEOs cashing out before their company succeeded. But the suggestion that paying yourself $150K is out of line - displays a lack of familiarity with the cost of living in the Bay Area today.