From Passion Project to SaaS: Pivoting ResumeMaker.Online

About six years ago, I struggled to find a simple, straightforward, non-scammy resume builder, so I created my own: ResumeMaker.Online

Fast forward to today, and not much has changed in the market; in fact, it’s gotten even worse.

ResumeMaker.Online has always set itself apart from other resume builders with its no-nonsense approach.I started this project as a hobby, not primarily to make money.

That’s why I never minded not having a sign-up form to then bombard users with emails, or making users fill in their entire resume only to find out they have to pay at the end — practices that are, frankly, shameless and all too common in other resume builders.

Lately, I’ve been very busy working on my main project, aiCarousels, an innovative platform dedicated to social media design. But before this project took off, I faced a professional setback: I was fired from my job and experienced the tedious task of having to update my resume.

This reignited my desire to update ResumeMaker.Online.

ResumeMaker.Online also kickstarted my entrepreneurial journey, and it holds a special place in my heart because of its genuine potential to help people better their lives.

So, this year I set out to dedicate time and effort to give it a major update.

I’ve always wanted to turn it into a subscription-based product, but I initially opted for a one-time payment. This was because it is totally a valid option for resumes, but mostly due to my sub-par coding skills… to be honest.

Now, almost six years since I originally launched, https://www.outseta.com/ came to the rescue, and turning it into a proper SaaS only took minutes.

What didn’t take minutes was working on the updates! I improved ALL aspects of it.

It is all 100% new code, plus I added new features such as the “AI Resume Import”, which allows users to upload an old resume and improve it with just one click.

It’s not just a nice way to import it into a nice template, but it also improves your professional summary (or creates one, if you don’t have one), and splits your work experience into bullet points to make it easier to read.

It also analyzes the resume to add relevant skills in the skills section.

Of course, after the resume is imported, all can be edited either manually or with the help of the AI Writing Assistant. You can generate new professional summaries, or create new bullet points based on your role, and select from skills.

Also, all the text can be selected, and you get access to quick AI features such as “Improve Writing”, “Improve spelling and grammar”, “Make shorter”, “Make longer”, “Simplify language”.

So, in case you decide to write on your own, you can still do it but without worrying so much about the way — then you can apply “improve writing” and other editing to make it just perfect.

Once users are satisfied with the content of their resume, customizing its appearance becomes extremely simple. Three main formats are offered, allowing users to choose the color and typography, as well as add or remove multiple sections according to their preferences, including hobbies, languages, and other optional sections.

I genuinely don’t mind offering a free download (albeit with a watermark) because it’s truly fulfilling to see people find a job, return, and happily opt for the paid version when they’re ready to go for a promotion and look for an even better job.

To download your resume, simply click “Download”. For users to get a free download, they have to share the site on their social media. This way, they help spread the word about the project.

Currently at over $500 in MRR after just 10 days, the growth is a bit slower than anticipated. But I’ve decided to wait a full month before making any changes. Despite this, I feel very optimistic!

For near-real-time updates, follow my #buildinpublic journey on X:

https://twitter.com/Fer_MOMENTO