# Year-One Roadmap

## Guiding principle

Do not start by building a broad neobank or a consumer lending app.

Start with the smallest product that proves the core wedge:

`payment-linked commission calculation plus instant access to earned balances`

## Success goal for year one

By the end of 12 months, the company should prove that employers will adopt a commission-led payout workflow and that employees will use it for faster access to earnings.

The year-one target is not maximum feature breadth. It is proof of product-market fit for the core loop.

## Foundation and partner design

### Months 0-2

#### Objectives

- validate the first customer segment
- choose partner model for custody, payouts, and compliance
- lock the ledger and commission system design

#### Workstreams

- run design-partner interviews with target employers
- map employer commission workflows and exception cases
- choose payment and banking partner shortlist
- define balance states: `earned`, `available`, `settled`
- define reserve and holdback logic for reversals
- specify onboarding flows for employers and employees

#### Deliverables

- product requirements for v1
- legal and regulatory issue map
- partner shortlist and integration plan
- event model for payments, commissions, adjustments, and payouts

#### Exit criteria

- 5 to 10 serious design partners in pipeline
- clear v1 scope that does not depend on lending
- chosen path for `Pix` and custody infrastructure

## Core ledger and instant payout access

### Months 2-5

#### Objectives

- launch the first working employer flow
- prove that a verified sale can become an eligible commission balance
- enable instant cash-out for employees

#### Product scope

- employer onboarding
- employee onboarding through partner KYC
- payment ingestion or payment reconciliation
- commission rules engine
- internal ledger
- employee balance with `earned`, `available`, and `settled`
- employer settlement scheduling
- instant payout access via `Pix` or equivalent instant transfer rail
- employer dashboard with payout and commission views
- employee dashboard with balance and payout history

#### Operational scope

- manual support for edge cases
- conservative limits on instant availability
- dispute and adjustment workflows

#### Metrics

- number of active employers
- commission volume processed
- payout latency
- adjustment and reversal rate
- employee activation rate

## Analytics and stored balance

### Months 5-8

#### Objectives

- make the product more valuable to employers
- improve employee retention of balances
- reduce the need for manual reporting

#### Product scope

- stored balance in the app
- clearer balance segmentation and reserve visibility
- employer analytics for team performance and commission liability
- projections for upcoming payouts
- employee insights on earnings pace and history
- alerts for anomalies and budget spikes
- admin tools for corrections and policy configuration

#### Metrics

- percent of balances retained in-platform
- dashboard usage by employers
- frequency of manual interventions
- repeat payout behavior per employee

## Card and retention tools

### Months 8-10

#### Objectives

- make the balance more useful without requiring immediate cash-out
- unlock interchange economics

#### Product scope

- prepaid or debit card issuance through a partner
- spend from available balance
- card controls and transaction views
- balance retention incentives tied to usage, not explicit interest promises
- stronger notifications and mobile experience

#### Metrics

- card activation rate
- card spend volume
- balance retention before and after card launch
- support load per active user

## Scale features and controlled advance pilot

### Months 10-12

#### Objectives

- deepen product value for employers
- test a tightly controlled version of advance functionality without becoming credit-led

#### Product scope

- multi-entity or franchise support
- API or integration layer for ERP, CRM, or POS tools
- employer cash flow forecasting
- pilot of employer-backed advances with strict limits
- improved risk rules for refunds, clawbacks, and employee exits

#### Metrics

- employer expansion within existing accounts
- integration adoption
- advance usage and repayment behavior
- loss or exception rate on pilot advances

## What should stay out of scope in year one

- standalone consumer lending
- full payroll replacement
- broad international expansion
- feature-heavy consumer banking experience
- deep CRM functionality

## Year-one product philosophy

The roadmap should stay disciplined.

- build the commission ledger first
- prove instant access to earned money second
- add retention tools third
- add credit only after the company has the data and controls to support it

## Recommended milestone sequence

- prove employer demand for payment-linked commission automation
- prove worker demand for instant access to eligible balances
- prove safe operating rules around reversals and disputes
- prove that analytics improves employer retention
- prove that cards increase balance retention
- only then test employer-backed advance products