EP#45 Built for Sole Traders: Grant McCall on Making Accounting Simple with Rounded
Software that is here to actually fit your business, thanks to Rounded.
In this episode of Money Secrets, Fi sits down with Grant McCall — founder and Head of Product at Rounded, the beautifully simple accounting and invoicing app built specifically for Australian freelancers and sole traders.
From teenage garage coder to UX-led product leader, Grant shares how he turned spreadsheet pain into a purpose-built tool, why words matter as much as code, and what it actually takes to build (and keep improving) software for real humans.
🎧 Tune in for a refreshingly candid look at product, pricing, team, emotions, and the future of simple money tools for sole traders.
What you'll learn in this episode:
From spreadsheets to software: Why the big incumbents weren’t cutting it for sole traders — and how Rounded was designed around money in / money out simplicity.
Language > jargon: How UX copy and plain English reduce fear, build confidence, and help non-accountants actually use their numbers.
The rise of the sole trader: What Grant’s seeing across the Australian market, and how tech is making independence more accessible.
Build the right thing (and say no): The art of choosing features, resisting bloat, and staying laser-focused on one customer: sole traders.
Integrations & consolidation: Why subscription fatigue is real — and how Rounded thinks about bringing key workflows under one roof.
Remote team, real rhythm: How a fully distributed crew ships product asynchronously across time zones (and keeps customers front and centre).
Lessons from 10 years in SaaS: Everything takes longer than you think, tech debt is real, and customer focus is a moat.
The human side of founding: Stress happens — why talking it out, naming the problem, and leaning on your team changes everything.
What’s next for Rounded: Continuous invoicing improvements, practical additions (think mileage tracking), and smarter data flows that keep things simple at EOFY and BAS time.
Connect with Grant:
Web:
LinkedIn:
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We’ve come so far as a society in many ways, but money is one of the areas where progress hasn’t been enough. If we want to tip the scales in favour of marginalised people, it starts with understanding the secret: money in small business.
In this podcast, Money Secrets, host Fiona (Fi) Johnston, Chartered Accountant, small business advocate, and impact enthusiast, dives into the conversations we need to have about money. The secrets that once stayed behind closed doors (or on the golf course) are finally out in the open.
Fi’s mission? To get more money into the hands of good people, like you. She believes small businesses have the power to change the world, and the key to making a bigger impact is to make—and manage—more money.
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Thank you to everyone involved for bringing this podcast together. We are excited to hear from you with any questions, feedback or suggestions for future episodes that you might have. Send a Direct Message to @peach.businessIf you are excited for what’s to come, please like this episode, follow the podcast and share it with your friends. We are thrilled you're here.
👉 Try Rounded free for 30 days The link is for users new to Rounded only and offers a free, unrestricted 30-day free trial of Rounded for users who pay tax in Australia or New Zealand. No credit card needed.
Want to find out more about Good Money Club? It's for female and non-binary business owners ready to make more money and impact. Join us?
Check out my FREE Pricing Training you need to set your prices for profitability.
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This podcast episode was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and I'd like to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and custodians of this land and water that I live, work and play on. I'd like to pay respect to elders both past and present, and note that sovereignty has never been ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
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Australia