Mumbai CEO Vinod C Urges Startup Founders to Take Salaries to Avoid Burnout

Mumbai-based startup founder and chief executive officer Vinod C has urged entrepreneurs to draw a basic monthly compensation rather than working for free, warning that prolonged zero-salary periods lead to burnout and resentment.

Writing on LinkedIn, Vinod C challenged the startup culture that glorifies severe personal sacrifice, arguing that building a venture should not require founders to financially punish themselves, regardless of whether a company is bootstrapped or investor-funded.

"Founders, please pay yourself a salary. Even if it is just ₹25,000 a month," he stated, addressing the practice where founders treat taking zero pay as a badge of honour. He noted that while founders should conserve cash and accept compensation significantly lower than external market rates, going without income for years is unsustainable.

Vinod C highlighted that founders still face ongoing personal financial obligations, including rent, groceries, and family responsibilities. He warned that extreme financial strain harms an entrepreneur's mindset, pointing out that when everyday living expenses feel like money being taken away from the venture, resentment builds during an already emotionally demanding process.

Advocating for practical compensation, he argued that a modest stipend between ₹25,000 and ₹50,000, or whatever a firm can afford, serves as a vital survival tool. He urged founders to focus on building companies that can endure for ten years rather than exhausting themselves through severe self-deprivation.

The message prompted discussion among peers and fellow entrepreneurs. Responding to the post, founders shared similar experiences, with one noting that early-stage investors had previously pushed back against a ₹25,000 monthly pay despite the founder having earned 25 times that amount in a prior corporate role.