Build · Hiring
Hiring someone? Don't stop at the offer letter.
Start with the person and the business relationship. Solvd routes the supported employment, contractor, advisor, IP and equity work that needs to travel with the hire.
Hiring law is jurisdiction-sensitive. Worker classification, wage/hour, leave, privacy and restrictive-covenant rules can require local legal review.
Direct answer
The document is one step in the hire.
A startup hiring workflow can involve the worker relationship, offer or services terms, confidentiality and IP, equity, approvals and onboarding obligations. Solvd's category job is to connect those pieces so a founder does not mistake “we signed an offer” for “the legal side of the hire is complete.”
What Solvd handles
Employees, contractors and advisors follow different paths.
Employees
Supported offer and onboarding documents, plus the related IP and equity routes.
Contractors
Services terms and IP/confidentiality documents, with classification questions escalated when needed.
Advisors
Advisor services and compensation terms connected to the appropriate equity workflow.
IP assignments
Connect work-product ownership documentation to the person performing the services.
Equity compensation
Route options or other awards into the actual equity plan, pricing and approval sequence.
Company-state handoff
Keep completed hiring records available for later equity, diligence and departure workflows.
Sequencing proof
A hire can trigger legal work in more than one pillar.
- Worker relationship facts collectedIntake
- Employment / service documents selectedDocument path
- IP assignment and equity path still openNext
- Equity grant routes into the equity workflowConnected work
The offer or services agreement is only one part of the hire. The workflow should surface the IP and equity steps that travel with it.
Before / Next
Relationship first. Documents second. Equity where it belongs.
Founder questions
The right path depends on the actual worker relationship.
Is an offer letter enough to hire someone?
An offer letter can document important employment terms, but a startup hire can also involve onboarding, confidentiality/IP obligations, equity and jurisdiction-specific employment requirements. The exact package depends on the worker and location.
Can we just call someone a contractor?
No label alone decides worker status. Classification depends on the actual facts and applicable law, which can vary by jurisdiction. The product should route uncertain classification questions to appropriate review.
When should equity be handled?
If the compensation package includes equity, the employment or advisor workflow should route into the company’s actual equity framework, pricing support and approval path rather than treating the offer language as the grant itself.
Why does IP assignment matter?
Startups often need clear documentation of who owns work created for the company. The correct agreement and scope depend on the worker relationship, jurisdiction and existing agreements.