its worse - they sounded like - "we were the only company in the world with proven results" to "we don't care now..."

If you are going use equity - use it to grow the business, not pay yourself. Go for it.

I spent my life working in startups (some have gone for a handful of people to 10000's and to change the world and be some of the largest companies in the world ever). You do it by fighting. You are smart and you are tough. So I have walked the walk here on the front lines.

It is the job of the company to sell it. To show how it works. To prove that it works. Not for others to get it and go ...you can't go well they don't get it. In every startup you have to earn the right to bring a product to market and be successful. And you have to bring your a game, and you have to understand how to navigate those hickups and barriers.

It's more than R&D. Where is your marketing team. You need one. Where is your PR - you are going to need one. Use your money on that. Not yourselves. People believe in the product, they need to also believe in this team and that is honestly going to be a challenge.