A Venture Habitat tool
You’re probably paying yourself last. Let’s find out by how much.
Most solo founders price to survive, not to get paid. In about two minutes, see the gap between what you charge and what you’d need to charge to actually pay yourself a living wage — across the hours you can really work.
The Founder Pay Gap Check
Answer a few quick questions. We’ll show you what you charge, what you’d need to charge, and the gap between them.
Step 1 of 3 · How you work
The hours you can actually sell
Not every working hour is billable. Start with your real pattern — defaults are fine to tweak.
Holidays, sick time, downtime — time you won’t be earning.
The rest goes to admin, marketing, quoting, learning. Most solo founders land at 50–65%.
Nothing is saved. Everything runs in your browser.
Built with founders, for founders
We built this because most founders quietly work for far less than they think — and pricing that ignores your own pay is exactly why. Every check makes the picture clearer.
Questions
Is the check really free?+
Yes, and there’s no account. It runs in your browser and saves nothing unless you choose to share your result.
Do I need to be good with numbers?+
No. Start with a single monthly figure for your living costs; you can get precise later.
What currency does it use?+
Your choice — pick your currency before you start.
Is this accounting or tax software?+
No. It’s a pricing and owner-pay planner. It doesn’t file taxes or touch your bank.
What’s the full tool?+
Founder Pricing & Pay costs and prices every product and service you sell, shows how each job funds your living and business costs, and lets you review your pricing month to month. We’re building it now with our first 100 founding members.