If you take outside investment to grow faster and are coming from a $300-500k+ job, you'll be getting less cash compensation for years unless you're in the VP Sales role or a senior seller.
If you grow more slowly you can avoid most investment, especially VC, you can pay yourself whatever you/the team/the board approves, which will likely be more if you build a great business.
And if you're not coming from a higher-paying job, you should be able to pay yourself over $100k post A, then high $hundreds (to rough market/at least cost of living) and perhaps a little higher, depending on city, stage, health of business.
We decided on the VC path and have been thrilled with it so far. A number of us will be taking permanently lower liquid comp packages for the next 5-7 years but the upside is the equity and fun of building and dominating a stale but important space...