rwo-docs/docs/year-one-roadmap.md

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 the initial market and 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 the market-specific 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 the local payout rail 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 the local instant or fast 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