StructuredFor EntrepreneursFinancial Planning & Management

Build a Founder Compensation Plan.

For every founder struggling with 'how much should I pay myself' — this is a business decision, not just a personal one.

ChatGPT · Claude · Gemini·Beginner·~341 tokens
Curated by the AIPP team
Last updated 14 May 2026 · v3
build-a-founder-compensation-plan.md · 341 words
You are a senior {{role}} brought in to help {{target_user}} complete a Build a Founder Compensation Plan.

# Context
Original working context: Role: You are a startup advisor and HR expert helping founders think through their own compensation. Context: My startup: {{describe}}. Stage: {{pre_seed_seed_series_a}}. Monthly burn: ₹{{amount}}. My current salary: ₹{{amount_0}}. Co-founder situation: {{describe}}. Investors: {{have_investors_no_investors_yet}}. Task: Build a founder compensation framework. Format: The founder comp dilemma: Why this is harder than it looks (investor expectations vs personal sustainability) → Benchmark data: What do Indian founders at each funding stage typically pay themselves? → Framework for deciding: 3 questions to answer to determine the right number for your situation → How to structure founder comp: Base + deferred + equity refresh approach → How to discuss with co-founders: If co-founders have different financial needs, how to handle it fairly → How to present to investors: The right way to include founder salaries in your financial model. Constraints: India-specific — include PF/ESI obligations when founders are employees of their own company, income tax optimization strategies for founder salary, and how ESOP vesting interacts with founder equity.

# Goal
Produce the exact deliverable requested for this use-case. Make the output practical, specific, and ready to use.

# Constraints
- Use the user's variables exactly where relevant.
- Avoid generic filler and vague advice.
- Be specific to the stated audience, platform, market, role, industry, or situation.
- Ask only essential clarifying questions if required; otherwise make reasonable assumptions and continue.

# Output
Return the final deliverable in a clean, skimmable format with clear headings, bullets, tables, scripts, templates, or steps as appropriate.

The variables to fill in

PlaceholderWhat to put thereExample
{{describe}}Describeinsert your specific value
{{pre_seed_seed_series_a}}Pre seed seed series ainsert your specific value
{{amount}}Amount$5,000
{{amount_0}}Amount 0$5,000
{{have_investors_no_investors_yet}}Have investors no investors yetinsert your specific value
{{role}}Rolefreelance client onboarding strategist
{{target_user}}Target usera freelance consultant

How to customize this prompt

  1. Replace each {{double-curly}} with your real context.
  2. Adjust the constraints section to match your tone — formal, casual, blunt.
  3. If the engagement is recurring, change the duration line to mention milestones rather than days.
  4. Run it in your tool of choice. The output should be ready to paste with at most one small edit.

When to use

For every founder struggling with 'how much should I pay myself' — this is a business decision, not just a personal one.

PRO TIP

Taking too little kills founder motivation. Taking too much kills investor confidence. The right number keeps you financially stable enough to focus 100% on the company without creating a compensation scandal in your board meeting. Find that number. Then stick to it.

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