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Pilot’s 2025 Founder Salary Report Reveals 43% Drop in Founder Compensation as Capital Efficiency Takes Center Stage

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The leading accounting firm’s annual report shows dramatic shift in founder compensation as capital efficiency and fewer VC funding opportunities become available

SAN FRANCISCO, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Pilot,  the leading accounting firm for startups and small businesses, today released its annual Founder Salary Report, revealing a dramatic 43% decrease in median founder compensation over the past year. Based on data from nearly 2,000 founders, the report highlights a fundamental shift in how startup leaders are approaching personal compensation in today’s more challenging funding environment.

“The data is super clear—founders are rethinking compensation,” said Waseem Daher, co-founder & executive chair of Pilot. “We’re seeing founders make smarter calls to extend runway while figuring out reasonable personal compensation. It’s a stark contrast to previous years and signals an ecosystem getting serious about financial discipline—which is exactly what should be happening.”

Key findings from the 2025 Founder Salary Report include:

Median founder salaries dropped 43%: The median founder salary fell from $132,000 in 2024 to $75,000 in 2025, with nearly twice as many founders (60%, up from 37%) now paying themselves less than $100,000 annually.Fewer founders taking zero salary: Only 5.4% of founders reported taking no salary, down from 9% last year. Founder salaries are down as venture capital (VC) is harder to come by, time between rounds is expanding, and bootstrapping is up. When founders invest their own money or funds from family and friends, they typically opt for lower salaries to fund operations, particularly when they believe in the long-term equity outcomes.AI startups buck the trend: In contrast to the overall decline, founders of AI startups (now representing 40% of respondents, up from 14% last year) report higher median compensation of $90,000, reflecting continued investor enthusiasm for the sector. Though like all salaries, AI founder salaries are lower than they were last year.Bootstrapping on the rise: The percentage of bootstrapped companies increased 77% from last year, now representing 18% of surveyed founders, as more entrepreneurs choose self-funding in today’s challenging venture capital environment.

Most founders (31%) reported setting their salaries based primarily on “what the startup can afford,” while those who benchmarked against market rates earned 79% more on average.

“Understanding where you fit in today’s capital-efficient landscape is how you build companies that survive when things get tough,” added Daher. “This isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about making strategic decisions that balance personal sustainability with runway preservation.”

The 2025 Founder Salary Report is based on responses from 1,844 founders across various industries, funding stages, and geographic regions. The full report includes detailed breakdowns by industry, company size, company phase, funding level, and geographic location.

To download the complete report, visit pilot.com/fsr.

About Pilot

Pilot is an accounting firm that specializes in providing expert bookkeeping, tax preparation, and CFO services specifically designed for startups and small businesses. Headquartered in San Francisco and Nashville, Pilot brings together U.S.-based finance experts and cutting-edge technology to deliver trustworthy financials and actionable insights, helping founders and business owners focus on what they do best—growing their businesses.

Media Contact 

Sarah Evans
sarah@zenmedia.com

Alexandria Hurley
alexandria@zenmedia.com

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SOURCE Pilot

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Texas Instruments board declares third quarter 2026 quarterly dividend

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DALLAS, July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The board of directors of Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) today declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.42 per share of common stock, payable August 11, 2026, to stockholders of record on July 31, 2026.   

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated (Nasdaq: TXN) is a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures and sells analog and embedded processing chips for markets such as industrial, automotive, data center, personal electronics and communications equipment. At our core, we have a passion to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. This passion is alive today as each generation of innovation builds upon the last to make our technology more reliable, more affordable and lower power, making it possible for semiconductors to go into electronics everywhere. Learn more at TI.com.

TXN-G

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SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated

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Drake Expands End-to-End Professional Services with Launch of Drake Audit Defense™

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New post-filing audit defense service extends Drake Software’s support beyond tax preparation, helping firms save time while delivering greater value to clients.

FRANKLIN, N.C., July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Drake Software, a leader in professional tax preparation solutions, today announced the launch of Drake Audit Defense™, a new post-filing audit defense service designed to help tax professionals better support their clients after a return is filed. The new offering represents another step in Drake’s continued investment in delivering integrated products and services that support tax professionals throughout the entire client journey—from intake to post-filing.

Enrollment for Drake Audit Defense is available now for Drake Software customers for Tax Year 2026 returns. Customers can enroll by logging into their account at DrakeSoftware.com

Drake Audit Defense provides tax professionals with an easy-to-offer service that helps clients navigate eligible IRS and state tax notices, audit assistance, and qualifying tax-related identity theft assistance. By reducing the administrative burden associated with post-filing issues, firms can spend less time managing notices and audits while providing additional value and peace of mind to their clients.

“Tax professionals are looking for more than software—they’re looking for solutions that help them run more efficient practices and deliver exceptional client experiences,” said Alice Curry, Chief Customer Offer. “Drake Audit Defense is another example of how we’re expanding the Drake ecosystem with integrated services that support firms before, during, and after tax season.”

“Our goal is to make it easy for firms to manage the products and services they rely on in one connected Drake experience,” said Curry. “By integrating Drake Audit Defense alongside our growing portfolio of workflow solutions and enhancements, we’re giving customers greater visibility into their practice, fewer administrative tasks, and a simpler way to manage their business while delivering even more value to their clients.”

Drake Audit Defense is designed specifically for Drake Software customers and integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, making it simple to enroll clients during the tax preparation process while providing trusted support by credentialed tax experts when post-filing issues arise.

About Drake Software

For more than four decades, Drake Software has provided innovative tax preparation and practice management solutions that help tax professionals serve their clients with confidence. Today, Drake continues to expand its ecosystem with integrated products and services that support firms from client intake through post-filing, helping practices work more efficiently while delivering exceptional client experiences.

Media Contact:
Colleen Woods Heikka
Sr. Director, Product Marketing
Colleen.woods@Taxact.com

+1-781-588-6339

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SOURCE Drake Software, LLC

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IronSpark Studios Launches in Birmingham, AL

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IronSpark is a new creative studio focused on animation, game development, and interactive experiences.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Storytelling has a new home in Birmingham, Alabama, with the launch of IronSpark Studios, a creative media company focused on animation, game development, and interactive experiences. Guided by its mission to build stories that engage, excite, and entertain, IronSpark Studios develops original and client-driven intellectual property and digital experiences.

Production is shifting away from traditional big studios and moving rapidly toward independent creators and agile, small studios. Founded on the belief that world-class creative belongs in Birmingham, IronSpark Studios collaborates with local creatives, businesses and organizations while working to attract animation, game development and interactive media production to the region.

“Our vision is to create experiences that inspire audiences, spark imagination and leave a lasting impact,” said Brass Bralley, co-founder and managing director. “We believe Birmingham is a place where creative talent can grow, collaborate and help shape the future of storytelling.”

The studio operates through three divisions—Animation, Games and Interactive—creating content for film, commercial projects, video games, immersive exhibits and emerging digital experiences.

IronSpark Studios is partnering with clients and intellectual property owners while developing original projects of its own, helping bring more animation, game development, and interactive media production to Birmingham.

“I’ve chosen to build many businesses in the Birmingham ecosystem, and the choice to build IronSpark here was a simple one,” said Mazi Rasulnia, co-founder and consulting partner.  “Birmingham has a vibrant community of innovators and creators, and IronSpark will be a great addition.”

Among those projects is its first original animated short film, The Purple Sky Peanut Butter Club. Based on a true story of heroism and sacrifice, the dialogue-free animated short explores the power of small traditions and their ability to provide healing through grief and transcend generations.

“The stories we create are meant to connect people,” said Wink Winkler, co-founder and head of creative. “Whether that’s through film, series, a video game or an interactive experience, at the end of the day, the story is at the heart of everything we create.” 

Contact: Brass Bralley, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Brass@ironsparkstudios.com

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SOURCE IronSpark Studios

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