The founder stack we actually recommend
A short, honest list of tools we would point an early team to. We kept it small on purpose. If we would not use it ourselves, it is not here.
How this is paid for, plainly: some links below are affiliate links. If you sign up, we may earn a flat one-time fee. That payment is never tied to you raising money, and it is the same flat amount whether you raise nothing or a lot.
Placement here is not for sale. No company can pay to be added, moved up, or described more kindly. We hold no equity in any of these companies and receive nothing connected to anyone’s fundraising. Read the full money disclosure.
Banking and spend
Where your money sits and how the team spends it.
Mercury
Startup banking with a clean dashboard and no monthly fees. What most of the founders we talk to open first.
Affiliate link. If you sign up, we may earn a flat one-time fee. It never depends on you raising money, and it does not affect our data or where Mercury appears. How we make money.
Ramp
Corporate cards and spend management. Useful once you have a few people expensing things.
Affiliate link. If you sign up, we may earn a flat one-time fee. It never depends on you raising money, and it does not affect our data or where Ramp appears. How we make money.
Payroll
Paying yourself and your first hires without a headache.
Gusto
Payroll, benefits, and contractor payments for small teams. Straightforward to set up for your first hire.
Affiliate link. If you sign up, we may earn a flat one-time fee. It never depends on you raising money, and it does not affect our data or where Gusto appears. How we make money.
HR and hiring abroad
Employing or contracting people across borders.
Deel
Hire and pay contractors and employees abroad without setting up a foreign entity. Handy for a distributed early team.
Affiliate link. If you sign up, we may earn a flat one-time fee. It never depends on you raising money, and it does not affect our data or where Deel appears. How we make money.
This is general education for founders, not investment or legal advice. Do your own research before choosing a provider.