1 week ago
Startup Founder Urges Entrepreneurs to Pay Themselves Modest Salaries
Vinod C says startup founders should pay themselves some money.
He believes working for years without any salary should not be celebrated.
Founders still need money for rent, food and family needs.
The salary does not have to be large.
It should be an amount the company can reasonably afford.
He suggested examples such as ₹25,000 or ₹50,000.
He also said founders should usually earn less than they could make elsewhere.
His main point is that founders should avoid burning out while building a business.
Naturally Yours co-founder Vinod C urged startup founders to pay themselves a modest salary.
He said founders should not glorify going years without personal income.
Vinod recommended salaries below market rates but above zero when affordable.
He argued that salaries help founders manage rent, groceries and family responsibilities sustainably.
LinkedIn commenters agreed that realistic founder pay can reveal a company’s true costs.
- Who
- Vinod C, co-founder of Naturally Yours, and other LinkedIn users commenting on his post.
- What
- Vinod urged bootstrapped and funded startup founders to pay themselves modest, sustainable salaries.
- Where
- The discussion took place on LinkedIn.
- When
- The timing of the LinkedIn post is not specified in the article.
- Why
- Vinod said founders need to cover personal expenses and remain financially sustainable without weakening the company.
Pay a Sustainable Salary
Preserve Cash Through Sacrifice
Founder compensation
Pay a Sustainable Salary
Founders should take a modest salary when the company can reasonably afford it, so they can manage basic living costs.
Preserve Cash Through Sacrifice
Cash conservation and founder sacrifice remain important, and compensation should stay below comparable market rates.
Business sustainability
Pay a Sustainable Salary
Accurate founder pay gives a clearer picture of the company’s actual operating costs and may reduce financial stress and burnout.
Preserve Cash Through Sacrifice
Some founders may choose to take no salary to keep more cash in the business, although Vinod argues that this should not be glorified for years.
Key facts
- Founder
- Vinod C, co-founder of Naturally Yours
- Suggested salary examples
- ₹25,000 or ₹50,000, depending on what the company can afford
- Salary principle
- Founder pay should remain reasonably below comparable external market rates
- Reason cited
- Founders still have rent, grocery and family responsibilities
- Business concern
- Zero salary can create an artificially low picture of company expenses
- Startup brand
- Naturally Yours produces healthy noodles and pasta
- Product claims
- The brand says its products use whole grains and superfoods and avoid MSG, artificial flavours and preservatives
Quotes
A LinkedIn user
Commenter responding to Vinod C’s LinkedIn post
“Paying yourself a sustainable salary creates a clearer picture of the actual cost of running the business and makes it easier to evaluate whether the company is genuinely healthy, rather than relying on an artificially low expense base. Good financial decisions start with accurate numbers,”
livemint.com
“Whether you are bootstrapped or funded, building a startup does not require you to financially punish yourself. I see founders proudly saying: ‘I haven't taken a salary for 3 years.’ I don't think that's something we should glorify”
livemint.com
Sources
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