<prompt> Human: A little over 4 months ago I took a job with a startup company. It required me to take a pretty significant pay cut but I saw the position as one that would have less responsibility than Im used to and would allow me to maximize my strongest skill sets while taking a lot of the tasks that I didnt enjoy about my previous positions off of my plate. During the interview process when we discussed salary, I was honest about the fact that accepting this position would mean taking a large pay cut and that I was not willing to absorb that hit indefinitely.Fast forward to present, and I really like the job. Im happy with the day to day, I have a generally positive feeling about the company and the people, and I really buy into what were doing. The role fits me perfectly and everyone from my supervisor up to the CEO are overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of my work output. However I was wrong about the position entailing less responsibility, Im under every bit as much pressure if not more than in my previous positions and I often find myself arriving early, staying late, and coming in on weekends. The company itself is really starting to take off and very soon I will have a team of subordinates working underneath me who Im responsible for overseeing. In addition, I recently had an interesting unsolicited opportunity present itself to me and as a result I am late in the running for a similar position with a much more established company in another state. This position has a starting salary in line with my previous experience and has the potential for quick growth.Thats the background. I could really use some advice on how to play the situation properly. My current salary barely covers my expenses and I have to drive for Uber sometimes to make ends meet. I really like my current job, but Im not willing to continue to work for less than my value. I know that if I went to my bosses and asked for a raise tomorrow, they would give me a 10 bump without blinking an eye but that would still leave me around 20 below my previous salary. I dont believe they would come up to the range Im looking for but I do believe that the operation is more well-funded then theyre letting on, so my dilemma is figuring out the right number without pushing it too far. And how do I factor in the other position that Im in the running for? Do I wait to see if they make an offer and then see if my boss wants to counter? Or do I tell my boss upfront about the unsolicited opportunity that came my way in hopes that wanting to keep me, he makes a competitive offer?Thanks in advance!  <response>: If they cant afford to pay you extra cash, ask for stock. 