At MainStreet, we’re problem solvers.
Our products aim to do one thing: save startup founders and small business owners time, money, and peace of mind. We started by demystifying complicated tax credits, saving over $100M – and countless hours of tax code research 🥱– for founders in nearly every industry. Since our sort-of viral beginnings in 2019, we’ve raised a $60M Series A, expanded our product lines (with more in the works), and grew from 3 employees to our current team!
We owe our success to the strength of our team. Before joining MainStreet, we helped build companies like Intuit, PayPal, Google, Apple, Coinbase, Gusto, LinkedIn, Slack, and more. We’re fellow founders, engineers, accountants, designers, dog (and cat) lovers, adventurers, coders, and parents. We move fast. We think big. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. And we’d love for you to join us.
If you'd like to work with us, but there are no active opportunities that align with your interests, we'd love for you to still reach out to us! Upload your resume, along with any relevant work examples and up to 250 words on how you imagine yourself making an impact at MainStreet.
About MainStreet
MainStreet takes a holistic approach to small business management so you can grow smarter, not harder. We plug into your accounting and payroll systems to check for savings opportunities in unlikely places. From complex government tax credits to exclusive discounts on the tools you use every day, we save you thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours, and countless headaches.
Throughout the year, you’ll track expenses and savings through your MainStreet dashboard and tag us in on big purchases and contract negotiations. Come tax season, we’ll do the paperwork and even let your CPA take all the credit. Consider us your silent partner-in-savings, your financial secret weapon, your smart (not a) bank – whatever you want to call us. We’ve got your back so you can get back to building your business. ✨
Our $60M Series A
We’ve raised over $60M from an incredible community of partners, operators, and founders, including SignalFire (who led our Series A), Ryan Hoover (Product Hunt founder), Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures, Des Traynor (Intercom co-founder), Gradient Ventures (a Google Venture Fund), Ron Conway’s fund SV Angel, Shrug Capital, and Tusk Ventures.
How we think about diversity
We try to make sure the diversity of our customers is reflected in the team that serves them. Because when we include people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and identities — we end up building a better experience for everyone who uses MainStreet.
We know we need to be intentional in our hiring practices in order to overcome systemic biases we may be blind to. So, if your lived experience has given you a unique perspective on business, startups, or any other aspect of our business – even if you don’t meet all the requirements – please still apply and let us know so we can make sure your application gets the attention it deserves.
What We Do
We help startups and small businesses extend their runways by connecting them with government stimulus programs, tax credits, and hiring incentives. Whew, that’s a mouthful. In simpler terms, we help founders find cash they didn’t know they were owed.
Navigating government tax credits and incentives is no easy task. Founders and business owners rarely have the bandwidth, time, or resources to pursue these programs and as a result, billions of dollars are left on the table.
That’s where we come in. We take the guesswork out of government and pass the cash savings onto small businesses. But before we dive into how it works, let’s talk about the team that makes it all happen.
This isn’t our first rodeo. Our founders are ex-Google employees and successful tech startup founders. Doug Ludlow, co-founder and CEO, started MainStreet as a response to the massive impact that departing big business brought on his hometown.
The small businesses that remained didn’t survive for long and the economy declined along with them. This is the unfortunate truth for towns across the U.S., where many small businesses lack resources and struggle to stay afloat.
At MainStreet, we want to be the small business lifeline that makes a long-standing impact on our economy. And we won’t stop until we’ve helped every small business.
The IRS bookmarks $150B in annual tax credits and incentives for U.S. companies researching and developing new products (aka “R&D”). These incentives are impactful, but they’re also complex and time-consuming. Small business owners just don’t have the capacity to cut through the red tape and claim the cash they’re owed.
That’s where we come in. We plug directly into their payroll software to see what they’re owed across dozens of credits. We take the guesswork out of government and pass the savings back to our customers. The best part? The average venture-backed startup finds $51,040 on their first call with us.
Why Work With Us
We come to work every day because we believe that we can fundamentally reshape America's economic landscape. Startups and founders have shaped America's economic landscape for the better. We're committed to helping all 30 million+ businesses in the US get back what they're owed so they can keep pushing us forward.
Gallery
