MicroPayout

Automated payroll runs and direct deposits for teams under 10.

Score: 7.8/10FranceMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Small business owners with tiny teams are stuck using error-prone spreadsheets for payroll and compliance because expensive HR software doesn't scale down for them.

Solution

MicroPayout schedules bi-weekly payroll, calculates pay from timesheets, and integrates with banks for direct deposits. It ensures compliance with overtime and minimum wage rules automatically. Tiny teams get enterprise-grade automation without the bloat.

Target Audience

Small business owners with tiny teams (1-10 employees)

Differentiator

Seamless bank payout integration at micro-scale pricing, focused solely on execution.

Brand Voice

professional

Features

Timesheet Entry

must-have15h

Employees log hours via simple app or approval workflow.

Auto Payroll Run

must-have25h

One-click to run payroll, calc taxes/deductions.

Direct Deposit

must-have20h

Plaid integration for ACH payouts.

Compliance Audit

must-have12h

Pre-run checks for labor law violations.

Run History & Reports

must-have15h

View past runs, export for taxes.

Multi-Rate Support

nice-to-have8h

Salaried + hourly mixing.

Slack Notifications

nice-to-have10h

Alerts for approvals/runs.

Year-End Exports

nice-to-have12h

W-2 ready CSVs.

Total Build Time: 117 hours

Database Schema

organizations

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
nametextNo
plaid_account_idtextYes

Relationships:

  • users.org_id -> organizations.id

employees

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
org_iduuidNo
bank_accounttextYes
pay_typetextNo

Relationships:

  • org_id -> organizations.id

payroll_runs

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
org_iduuidNo
run_datetimestampNo
total_payoutintNo
statustextNo

Relationships:

  • org_id -> organizations.id

timesheets

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
employee_iduuidNo
hoursintNo
week_endingtimestampNo

Relationships:

  • employee_id -> employees.id

API Endpoints

POST
/api/organizations/:id/bank

Link Plaid

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/timesheets

Log hours

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/payroll-runs

Trigger run

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/payroll-runs

List runs

🔒 Auth Required

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind + shadcn/ui
Backend
Next.js API + Supabase Edge Functions
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe + Plaid
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Plaid SDK

Build Timeline

Week 1: Auth & org/emp

20h
  • Scaffold
  • CRUD basics

Week 2: Timesheets

25h
  • Timesheet entry
  • Approval

Week 3: Payroll calc

25h
  • Run logic
  • Compliance

Week 4: Plaid & polish

25h
  • Deposits
  • Payments
  • Landing

Week 5: Testing

15h
  • E2E tests
  • Beta launch
Total Timeline: 5 weeks • 110 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

No payouts

  • 1 employee
  • Timesheets only

Pro

$35/mo
  • Up to 5 emp
  • Auto runs
  • Deposits

Enterprise

$99/mo
  • 10 emp
  • All + reports

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 1802.5%$70$840
Month 61,0007%$2,450$29,400

Unit Economics

$30
CAC
$450
LTV
4%
Churn
85%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 15.0xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Run Payroll & Pay Your Team Automatically

Direct deposits for small teams. Compliant, simple, $35/mo.

Feature Highlights

Timesheet approvals
Auto calculations
Plaid deposits
Law checks
Run history

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'Payouts on autopilot!' - Tom, Shop Owner"
"'No more checks!' - Lisa, Agency"

First Three Customers

Target local biz Facebook groups with 'free payroll run' offer. Email 20 from Clutch.co small agencies. Buildinpublic on Twitter for beta testers committing to $35/mo.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/Entrepreneurr/smallbusinessHacker News

SEO Keywords

small business direct depositautomated payroll small teamcheap payroll software 1-10 employees

Competitive Analysis

$40 base + $6/emp
Strength

Integrations

Weakness

Min fees too high for tiny

Our Advantage

Flat $35 for payouts

Wave Payroll

waveapps.com
$20 + $6/emp
Strength

Accounting tie-in

Weakness

Limited states

Our Advantage

Full US coverage simple

🏰 Moat Strategy

Plaid-linked payout history data + scheduled automation lock-in

⏰ Why Now?

ACH fees dropping, more SMBs going digital post-pandemic.

Risks & Mitigation

technicalmedium severity

Plaid integration fails

Mitigation

Sandbox testing + fallback manual

financiallow severity

High payout volume costs

Mitigation

Pass-through fees

Validation Roadmap

pre-build5 days

Plaid demo with 5 owners

Success: 3 willing to pay

mvp35 days

Beta payouts for 3 customers

Success: $100 MRR

Pivot Options

  • Pure timesheets
  • Contractor payments
  • Expense reimbursements

Quick Stats

Build Time
110h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$3,000
Market Size
$3000.0M
Features
8
Database Tables
4
API Endpoints
4