When you work for a company and you have no vested interest in it, other than taking home a salary, you do the work to the best of your ability and you get paid for it. There may be additional benefits too, like a pension, medical cover, holidays and more. And you want all those too, because that's the market rate. You're a Poacher - you are out for what you can get. When you want a salary increase you don't think about whether the company can afford it, you go for the salary you want. If you don't get it, and you can find a job with a better salary, you might decide to jump ship. And that's just tough - you'll go poach on someone else's land.
Now imagine life on the other side of the fence. The entrepreneur who runs your company is spinning plates - trying to balance your need to earn more money and her need to keep the cash runway as long as possible. She's the Gamekeeper because she's trying to keep the business in-tact. It's not just about money - it's also people, process, product and plan.
One of the things about running your own business is that you'll go from a Poacher to Gamekeeper. You are immediately on the other side of the fence. You'll go from grabbing as much as your can to protecting the assets you have (including people) and at the same time pushing for growth. If you want a salary increase, you'll first ask if the company can afford it.
People have said to me they didn't realise what a change that is. I'm not suggesting you refrain from asking for a raise, but you need to realise that the mindset of an entrepreneur is very different - pushing hard for traction and protecting what you've got. And as you then embark on your entrepreneurial journey, just remember what being a Poacher felt like, because now you too are a Gamekeeper.
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