I empathize. (With everything except the cofounders' idiocy, I absolutely love mine) I was brought in with my brother(MBA), we've been working on our web app for almost 10 months, and it's grown and morphed and changed more than we could have predicted. It's the first startup for any of us. The lack of salary is tough, particularly in silicon valley... but the ups and downs, the "best day or worst day of my life" that happens over and over, is a big part of the excitement of a startup (and also what wears me down the most). We are trying to figure out our future, and if our venture is something we can push on a little more for or if we should be getting jobs where we can work on our stuff on the side until it gains enough traction to raise capital or starts generating strong enough revenues. I'd be interested to know what you end up doing and if you ultimately have any advice... pm me when you make the decision if you feel so inclined.