First Employee

Your first hire sets every precedent.

Hiring employee #1 is a compliance event as much as a people event. Payroll registration, offer letters, CIIAs, and equity grants all need to happen before their first day — not after.

• Get a 409A valuation before issuing any options
• Register for payroll in the employee's state
• Execute CIIA on or before the first day of work
• Send a written offer letter
• Set up payroll (Gusto or Rippling)
• Document equity grant in a board resolution