Byron Malone

Byron Malone is the founder and editor of Bedrocka Tools, the verifiable finance calculator company, and the founder of Bedrocka Ventures, the AI-native holding company that operates Bedrocka Tools alongside other ventures.

Byron has been a solo operator since 2018 — running consulting engagements, then building Bedrocka Ventures and its portfolio companies as a single-member LLC operator. That hands-on experience is the editorial foundation for this site: the Solo 401(k) vs SEP-IRA comparison, the S-Corp election math, the QBI deduction calculation — these are decisions he has worked through himself, not just formulas he has researched.

Beyond his own operating experience, Byron has spent fifteen years working alongside companies, operators, founders, and consulting partners — helping them translate strategy into systems through technology adoption, AI automation, and the operating practices that actually hold up at scale. That work produced a consistent observation: most operator decisions get made with bad information not because operators don't want better, but because the better information is locked behind credentialed jargon, opaque calculators, or commercial agendas. Solo-operator tax and finance content is particularly prone to this — the audience is smaller and harder to monetize than small-business owners, so the tools are thinner and the sources are rarely cited.

Bedrocka Tools is the response to that observation. Open math. Cited sources. Real humans accountable for the work. The brand commits to three pillars: every formula is open-source on GitHub under MIT license; every assumption is cited to an authoritative primary source (IRS Publication, Internal Revenue Code section, Treasury regulation); every page has a real named reviewer with public accountability. The operating model is AI-native by design, with documented human review at every gate. For regulated YMYL content — tax strategy, health coverage elections, entity structure — Bedrocka Tools commits to review by qualified subject-matter experts (CPAs, Enrolled Agents, licensed brokers) before publication.

Byron is not a licensed financial advisor, CPA, or attorney. The calculators on this site are designed to make readers better-informed buyers of professional advice, not a replacement for it — see the disclaimer for the full terms.

Areas of expertise

• Self-employment tax — Schedule C, Schedule SE, SE tax deduction, quarterly estimated payments (Form 1040-ES)
• Entity structure — LLC vs S-Corp election (Form 2553), reasonable salary analysis, multi-member LLC considerations (IRC §1366, §3121)
• Self-employed retirement planning — Solo 401(k) (IRC §401(k)), SEP-IRA (IRC §408(k)), SIMPLE IRA, contribution limit calculations under IRC §415(c)
• QBI deduction strategy — Section 199A pass-through deduction, SSTB classification, W-2 wage and UBIA phase-in thresholds
• Self-employed health coverage — IRC §162(l) self-employed health insurance deduction, HSA eligibility (IRC §223), ACA marketplace considerations
• AI automation — workflow design, agent architecture, human-in-the-loop systems

Calculator categories reviewed

Retirement Savings · Entity Structure · Tax Deductions · Health Coverage · Operating Finance

Editorial process

Bedrocka Tools follows documented editorial standards covering calculator build process, AI transparency, source vetting, update and correction policy, and editorial independence on affiliate relationships. Read more about how the publisher operates → /editorial-standards.

Connect

Email (direct): byron@bedrockatools.com — responds within 3 business days. For general inquiries (legal, privacy, partnerships), use info@bedrockatools.com.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/byronmalone

GitHub: github.com/iByronm

Spotted an error in a calculator? Email us directly or open an issue on the GitHub repository when public. We read every message. Read our editorial standards for the full editorial process, source policy, and correction protocol.