Do not work for free!<p>This should trump everything else. Don&#x27;t listen to excuses, don&#x27;t believe that &quot;it&#x27;s a great opportunity for a young person,&quot; that &quot;it will enhance your resume,&quot; that you will &quot;gain valuable experience.&quot;<p>Do. Not. Work. For. Free.<p>Once your boss agrees to pay you market salary at least at the junior developer rate, then you can get into your lack of experience and whether or not it&#x27;s a good idea for you to be CTO (hint: if you&#x27;re asking, then it&#x27;s not). But,<p>Do Not Work For Free.