Have/would you ever give up salary to fund something you think will be good for the company?
Is it ever wise to offer to divert some of your personal salary (pre tax) towards helping fund a partnership/investment that your exec team/board rejects, but that you feel pretty certain will have a significant impact on the valuation of the company? What if the diverted salary could be reimbursed in (pre-ipo) equity?
Absolutely not, that's a sucker move
Only appropriate answer is: Hell No! That being said, only exception would be when you have a liquidity event coming up very soon and you strongly believe it will impact the immediate value of *your* shares, by some significant percent, and this is more than an opinion or “feeling”.
Bought an espresso machine so we didn't have to drink crappy coffee
It increased employee productivity thereby increasing the company's valuation
Only in small ways, like team lunches or going away lunches for departing employees, which my boss (CEO) did not allow to be expensed. The going away lunch is a great example. It's nice for the departing employee, but it also a way to show the ones remaining that you actually do value the work and contributions that people make.
❤️
What if the company fires you the day after you invest that money? How much of it would you get back? My guess is none. Don't do this.
Currently in this situation now. Asked to start a new company, but as a co founder. Asked to take a huge pay cut. While the project seems cool and we can easily raise money, I’m not willing to drop to 50% of my current base, have no insurance, no savings.
Do you mean they offered to keep you on books at part time w/o benefits while you work on your own company with some data/code sharing agreement?
Bail from current employer and start company.
Nobody on blind would ever do that.
Usually not wise. You’d want to talk this over with your lawyer, there are many ways to lose and few ways to win.
I would, especially if it makes my job easier, offered to give away some of my pay raise to a key employee I felt should stay.
As generous as that makes you, why is this coming out of your pocket and not the CEO/shareholder? I’d love to have more context
It came out when I offered...