In London, it's incredibly popular to live in roommate situations and have just a single room in a house with shared kitchen/bathroom for this reason. I know a lot of people still live with their parents into their late 20s and pay little or no rent, too.

It's common but it doesn't follow that it's popular.

Currently way out in the boondocks (zone 8). I'm looking to move into Zone 2/3 East London (Shoreditch/Bethnal Green area) to be closer to work. There are quite a few flat shares available for £500-600 pcm, which is my budget. That leaves me with £400/month to live off, which is good enough I suppose.

It's good that you don't mind being poor, 'cause that's what you're gonna be. I hope that start-up is worth it.

Good bunch of guys, and they're helping me add backend development to my skillset. That's how I look at it. Don't care much for equity.

No mate, unless you are getting a significant cofounder-level stake in the project these guys are exploiting you.

It depends how good/wanted he is.

I live in Scotland near Edinburgh, my first dev job I was earning £13k. It isn't super easy to break into development in the UK but within a year that had about doubled and that and learnt enough to be able to jump ship, which I did.

Now years later, I've happily earning more than the London average by contracting. I ate shit early on because I wanted to get somewhere in an economic time where the young are being screwed. I think it was probably worth it, but only until your experience and talent matures a bit.

Considering a lot of founders themselves are straight out of university I think your underestimating yourself.

Move. Seriously. You're harming your future.

I made very nearly that as a fresh graduate with an unremarkable degree and no relevant experience. Out in the sticks with more reasonable living expenses. Thirteen years ago, and I'd come close on several better paying positions. (Tip BTW, £400/mo after rent won't be enough for independent living.)

You're letting loyalty cloud your judgement; you can do better for yourself. Counting pennies isn't fun and you don't need to.

I'm a start-up founder, and live in Bethnal Green. It's a lovely place to live (in London).

Our office is just off of Brick Lane, and it's a short 15 minutes to work every morning :)

Bethnal Green isn't exactly a lovely place to live. It's saving grace is it's proximity to central London/Shoreditch, but there's nothing stand-out about it at all. It seems like no one respects it - every day I walk home from the station past at least 1 drunk/crackhead and rubbish all over the street.

No offence, but Bethnal Green looks like an ethnic ghetto. Is it getting better further to the south?

I guess it depends on your requirements. If you're young and without dependants it's much cheaper.

I live in a flatshare, 40 minute door-to-door commute (via overground, luckily, not the tube) and the rent is about 4k a year.