Gusto and Claude Code: Revolutionizing Development in 10 Weeks

Gusto and Its Bold Bet on Rapid Innovation

Eddie Kim, co-founder and CTO of Gusto, recently made a bold decision to return to his roots as a developer. Gusto, a payroll and human resources platform that has surpassed a billion dollars in revenue and serves over 500,000 small businesses, has embarked on creating a new artificial intelligence product called Gusto Cofounder. This project was completed in a record time of ten weeks, without relying on traditional project management tools like Figma or Jira.

A Radically Simplified Working Method

To successfully execute this project, the team adopted what they call the "garbage method." This approach treats each pull request (PR) as a product decision, eliminating the need for complex planning documents. The team also established a "perma-Zoom" setup that replaced traditional meetings and Slack exchanges, allowing for continuous and seamless communication throughout the project.

Two Tools for Maximum Efficiency

The creation of Gusto Cofounder relied on a minimalist tech stack, primarily consisting of two tools: Claude Code from Anthropic and Cloudflare Workers. This setup allowed the team to focus on the essentials, reducing distractions and increasing productivity.

A Designer Turned High-Level Engineer

One of the most remarkable aspects of this project was the transformation of a designer with no technical training into a key contributor to product development. Thanks to this method, this designer achieved the 94th percentile in terms of code productivity, demonstrating that the barrier between design and engineering can be successfully crossed.

An Evaluation-Focused Workflow

Eddie Kim implemented an "eval-first" workflow, which involves fixing bugs in real-time with the help of Claude Code. This approach allows for quick resolution of issues encountered by customers, ensuring a high-quality user experience from day one of production.

Rapid Prototyping for Buy-In

Another highlight of this method is the ability for a non-technical leader to quickly prototype an idea and gain the necessary buy-in to move to quality production. This flexibility is crucial for startups looking to innovate rapidly in a competitive market.

Demonstrations and Tangible Results

The project included practical demonstrations, such as using Gusto Cofounder via SMS and Slack, as well as executing a real payroll. These demonstrations allowed for testing and validating the product's features in real-world conditions, ensuring its robustness and effectiveness.

Conclusion: A New Era for Product Development

In summary, Gusto's experience with Gusto Cofounder shows that it is possible to develop and launch a complex product in record time, with a small team and a minimalist approach. This method could inspire other companies to rethink their development processes to gain agility and efficiency.