Are there investors who wouldn't agree to pay the founders a wage?
I understand the part where you invest your time and money to build the PoC but I can't imagine running a startup with VC-backed investment without paying out myself a wage. That seems crazy to me if true.
Equity is compensation, just illiquid, risky compensation. If you're wanting to get a wage (liquid, low-risk compensation) as well, expect to trade it against equity (which will naturally happen: if you're a founder being paid a wage, you're being paid it with the VC money which you have gotten by giving them some of your equity for some small fraction of what you expect the equity to be worth if you succeed). If you believe in the company (or at least rate the chances of success as more than the VCs do), it's rational to minimise the amount you trade away in equity for short-term needs or risk-reduction.
Sounds like a nightmare and a good way to go into personal bankruptcy. Unless, I guess, you had a job where you accumulated ~M of savings, which is very very few people.
