“Hyung-nim, When is the money coming in?”
This single question echoes on every construction site and led me to build a simple payroll app for everyone. It’s not just a question; it’s a plea, a worry, and sometimes, a resignation.
My journey with PayTrack didn’t start in a fancy Gangnam office with bean bags and espresso machines. It started in the dust, noise, and sweat of a construction site. I saw it every day: skilled technicians, daily laborers, and master carpenters working 10 hours a day under the scorching sun, only to face anxiety at the end of the month.
Start building “Payroll app”
The Problem: The “Notebook” System
Have you ever seen how daily wages are tracked on a site?
Most “Banjang-nims” (Team Leaders) use a battered notebook. They scribble names, dates, and amounts with a cheap ballpoint pen.
“Kim-ssi: 1 day. Park-ssi: 0.5 day.”
But what happens when it rains? The ink runs. The pages tear.
What happens when that notebook gets lost in a pile of cement bags?
The record is gone.
And in this industry, **no record means no pay.**
I watched a friend lose a week’s worth of wages because of a lost tally sheet. The foreman argued, “I don’t remember you working Tuesday.” My friend had no proof. He just swallowed his anger and went back to work.
It wasn’t just construction.
I saw part-time workers (Albasaeng) at convenience stores wondering if they were actually paid for that extra 30 minutes of cleanup.
I saw freelance designers chasing ghosts—clients who vanished after receiving the final files.
“Did the owner calculate my holiday pay? Is the client delaying the deposit again?”
The fear of “Will I get paid?” is universal.
It haunts the daily laborer carrying bricks, the barista pouring coffee, and the developer pushing pixels.
Unpaid wages are a plague that affects everyone who trades their time for money—from the dusty construction site to the sleek home office.
That moment sparked a fire in me.
“We need a system where trust is built on data, not just promises.”
I wanted to build an app that bridges the gap. A tool where a worker’s record is undeniable, and an employer’s payment is transparent.
I searched the App Store. There were plenty of finance apps.
Bank Apps?
Good for checking balance, useless for tracking expected income.
Accounting Apps?
Too complex. Double-entry book keeping? A daily laborer or part-timer doesn’t have time for that.
Calendar Apps?
Good for schedules, but they don’t calculate tax, overtime, or freelance deposits automatically.
We needed something different. Something rugged yet smart.
We needed a simple payroll app that was as reliable as a hammer for the site worker, and as precise as a contract for the freelancer.
The Mission: “Evidence is Power”
I realized that for a worker, data is protection.
If I could build an app that lets a worker log their day in 3 seconds—right there on the site, with dirty gloves on—that record becomes their undeniable proof.
I opened my laptop that night. and i start making Simple Payroll App
I chose React and Vite because I needed speed. I didn’t want a heavy app that took minutes to load on an old phone. It had to be instant.
I chose LocalStorage for the first version because construction sites often have spotty signal. The data needed to live on the phone, safe and sound, regardless of the internet connection.
Designing for the “Rough Hands”
Designing the UI was a unique challenge.
Usually, designers want “sleek” and “minimal.”
But my users have rough hands. They wear thick safety gloves. They are often checking their phone in blinding sunlight or pitch-black early mornings.
Banned. Everything had to be big, tappable cards.
White background?
No. Dark mode became the default standard to save battery and reduce eye strain.
Gone. A simple “Check-In” button was the core.
Simple Payroll App,PayTrack
wasn’t built to be a fancy fintech unicorn initially.
It was built to be a shield. A shield against memory loss, against unfair foremen, and against the anxiety of “Will I get paid?”
This is the story of how a dusty notebook evolved into a smart financial partner.
In the next episode, I’ll share how we took this rough concept and polished it into a Premium PWA that thousands of gig workers can tote in their pockets.
The Decision: “I Will Build It Myself”
Making Simple Payroll App
I realized that complaints won’t fix the industry. Code will.
If existing tools are too complex or too fragile, then I must build the tool that fits our reality.
So tonight, I opened my laptop.
But I’m not alone in this journey.
I have two powerful AI Co-pilots by my side: Stitch for brilliant coding solutions and Antigravity for architectural guidance.
Together with these AI agents, we will turn this vision into reality, faster and smarter than a traditional team.
LocalStorage
I chose LocalStorage for the first version because construction sites often have spotty signal. The data needs to live on the phone, safe and sound, regardless of the internet connection.
Yes, I know the limitations.
LocalStorage means no cloud sync, no automatic bank connections yet. If a user loses their phone, they lose their data.
But right now, “Speed” and “Offline Access” come first.
We can build the sophisticated backend and bank integrations later. For now, I need a tool that works in a basement with zero signal.
The First Step
I’m staring at a blank `App.jsx` file.
The goal is simple: Build a rugged, reliable “Digital Logbook” that empowers every worker to claim their rightful pay.
This is the beginning of PayTrack.(Simple Payroll App)
In the next episode, I’ll share my journey of designing the UI specifically for rough, gloved hands and early morning shifts.
*(To be continued…)*
Global Summary
English
“When will I get paid?” This painful question echoes from dusty construction sites to freelance home offices.
I witnessed firsthand how daily laborers and gig workers lose their hard-earned wages due to lost notebooks and vague promises.
Existing apps are too complex or fragile. So, I made a decision: “I will build the solution myself.”
Tonight, I opened a blank code editor to start Simple Payroll App(PayTrack).
My mission is to build a rugged, mobile-first PWA that replaces fragile paper logs with undeniable digital evidence.
This blog series documents my journey from a blank `App.jsx` file to a finished tool. The first line of code is written. Let’s go.
Korean
건설 현장의 일용직부터 프리랜서까지, “기록이 없다면 돈은 언제든 안줄수있고, 못받을수 있다. “
기존 앱들은 현장의 거친 현실에 맞지 않거나 너무 복잡했습니다.
그래서 결심했습니다. “내가 직접 Simple Payroll App 만든다.”
오늘 밤, 전공이 아니지만 처음으로 `App.jsx` 파일을 열고 첫 코드를 작성합니다.
이 기록은 단순한 앱 개발기 가 아닙니다. 춥고 더운 현장에서 일하면서 거친 손을 가지게된 노동자들을 위한 디지털 방패, Simple Payroll App(Pay Tracker) 을 만들어가는 저의 도전 과제입니다. 이제 시작합니다.
https://pay-tracker-app.vercel.app
