Can I date an experience on my resume earlier than the LLC was actually formed?

Question

So up until now I have been listing a personal project (Android App) on my Resume under a "Projects" category for the past year. in this time I have spent close to 1000 hours on the project and am only a couple releases away from listing the free version on the App Store. However, Just this past month I have officially created an LLC, and have found a collaborator to help push the free version out and begin working on version 2.

Since my app is kinda "official" now, I would like to list my project under the "Employment history" category, but I'm concerned about the dates. Would it be misleading to say I've worked for my LLC company as "Founder" for the past year even though the LLC was strictly formed within the past month?

Answer 1

Your resume is your own and you can format it as you want. Perhaps it would be deceptive to write

Apr 2019-present, MyGreatThing LLC, blah blah

if the LLC didn't exist a year ago. But you could easily write

Apr 2019-present, MyGreatThing (incorporated as LLC Apr 2020), blah blah

Now you're not deceiving anyone.

Answer 2

Would it be misleading to say I've worked for my LLC company as "Founder" for the past year even though the LLC was strictly formed within the past month?

Yes, it is misleading and extremely easy to validate - any semi-respectable vetting company will point out this discrepancy.

It is also unnecessary, you can safely keep it as simple entry and merely mention when you tuned the project into an actual business, or do two separate entries which show the transformation from a hobby project into an LLC. Both show the same, rather valuable, story, and faking the date muddies the line, taking away from what you've achieved.