Things to keep in mind: "Salary" is not the same as "wage" but is often confused with it. Salary, if taken in a yearly context, is basically a year-long loan

Things to keep in mind: "Salary" is not the same as "wage" but is often confused with it. Salary, if taken in a yearly context, is basically a year-long loan out against all stakeholders in a company or organization. Deliver more value than you take, and you're all good. The less you take, the less you're expected to deliver. This is how itty-bitty companies manage to get by. However, wage is more of a short-term thing and what companies usually end up paying their first employees to do the crappy "dirty work". Wage work sucks; it is usually hourly, and almost never results in anything productive value-wise. So minimize self-investment, maximize any external investors' interest (taken only when needed), look out for the people below you and gradually up the ante.