gusto

Gusto, in linguistic use, refers to taste or flavor in Italian. In English, it denotes vigorous enthusiasm or enjoyment, as in performing a task with gusto. The expression con gusto appears in Italian and is sometimes used in music or culinary contexts to signal a lively, confident style.

Gusto is also the name of a U.S.-based payroll, benefits, and human resources software company. The business began as ZenPayroll, founded in 2011 by Joshua Reeves, Edward Kim, and others, and rebranded to Gusto in 2015. Headquartered in San Francisco, it provides payroll processing, tax filings, direct deposit, and year-end forms, along with benefits administration, onboarding, and HR features. The platform emphasizes an integrated, user-friendly experience for small businesses.

In the marketplace, Gusto competes with traditional payroll providers and other cloud-based HR platforms. It has attracted venture funding and pursued partnerships with insurers and financial services firms, positioning itself as a modern alternative for small-business payroll and HR management. The brand Gusto is distinct from the general Italian term, reflecting its corporate identity rather than a linguistic sense of taste.