One-click payroll setup for your first employee's paycheck
Solo founders are overwhelmed by HR compliance, payroll setup, and legal requirements when hiring their first employee, as current HRTech tools are too complex and expensive for bootstrappers.
PaySolo integrates with banks and tax authorities to auto-configure payroll taxes, direct deposit, and filings for one employee. Solo founders input basic info and get running payroll in minutes, with guided 1099/ W2 handling. Say goodbye to manual calculations and accountant fees.
Solo bootstrapped founders hiring their first employee
First-hire only focus with bank-level simple setup, no monthly minimums unlike full payroll apps
friendly
Quiz-based setup for taxes and deposits
One-click calculate and send pay
Real-time federal/state tax estimates
ACH integration for payments
Auto-schedule quarterly filings
Year-end forms
Link reimbursements to payroll
Bi-weekly support
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| text | No | |
| stripe_id | text | Yes |
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| user_id | uuid | No |
| name | text | No |
| hourly_rate | int | No |
| state | text | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| employee_id | uuid | No |
| amount | int | No |
| tax_deducted | int | No |
| paid_at | timestamp | Yes |
| status | text | No |
Relationships:
| Column | Type | Nullable |
|---|---|---|
| id | uuid | No |
| user_id | uuid | No |
| account_token | text | No |
| routing | text | No |
Relationships:
/api/employeesAdd first employee
/api/payrollsRun paycheck calc and pay
/api/payrolls/:idPay history
/api/banks/connectPlaid bank link
/api/taxes/estimateTax preview
Test mode only
1 employee
| Month | Users | Conversion | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 150 | 3% | $130 | $1,560 |
| Month 6 | 1,200 | 5% | $1,740 | $20,880 |
Setup payroll taxes and direct deposit in minutes for $29/mo
Run Twitter ad targeting 'hiring first employee' keywords; Email list from indie payroll pain threads on Hacker News; Free trial to first responders on r/smallbusiness hiring posts.
Full service
Min fees for solos
One-emp optimized, cheaper
IT + HR
Too complex/pricey for first hire
Payroll-only speed
Plaid integrations + proprietary tax rules db for solos
Inflation + wage laws increasing payroll errors, rise in solo-to-team transitions
ACH failures
Plaid + Stripe reliability
Tax calc inaccuracies
IRS API + audits
Filing liability
Partner with tax service
Success: 15 confirm payroll pain top issue
Success: 100% accurate calcs
Success: 20% referral signups
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