How One Post on X— and the Power of Feedback — Made a User My Best Startup Advisor

Excitement and Uncertainty

I started OneCV.ai in mid-November 2024, and after two weeks of good traffic, paying customers from day four, and lots of feedback from friends who supported me during the launch, a period of quietness followed. It was weeks before Christmas, and maybe most of us wanted to slow down, focus on family, and not think so much about changing jobs and preparing resumes.

Building in Isolation

Suddenly, I felt very much alone, unsure if the product was good enough or if I wasn’t doing enough to promote it. I was somewhere in the early stage of ‘The Startup Curve’ described by Paul Graham, but unlike other startups, I did not have a shiny launch or much buzz — just a post on LinkedIn. I felt very lucky that 60 people supported me with likes and shares, used OneCV.ai, and shared valuable feedback. We improved the product based on their input, practically building in public through a trial-and-error dance.

I don’t fit the usual profile of a startup founder in Silicon Valley — I’m an introverted mom of 40+ who likes art deco, WWII history, and cats. But one thing I know — I adapt and evolve easily. I have moved many times around Europe and the US, and although every change takes a toll on you, you also grow. Because I had been obsessed for many years with building products in the recruitment space, I told myself I would cross the flat plain of Sorrow no matter what.

As product managers, we always want to build products people love. The professional way of doing this is to follow a canvas (I prefer lean UX canvas), do your homework, talk with your customers and be resilient. But of course, success is never guaranteed. There are so many variables that you may end up in a situation where you’re on a bicycle on a string, 20 meters above the ground, juggling product-market-fit, features, feedback, and growth strategy while needing to keep your balance and project stability and confidence to gain VC/angel investors’ interest and trust.

With all this happening in your mind, you have to be confident. Some of us are born this way; others need support — moral support, feedback support — so you don’t feel abandoned by fate. Normally, we rely on friends and family for support and feedback. In my case, I felt their support, but I knew it was coming because of me, not necessarily because of the product I was building. I appreciated the positive regard people had for me, and I felt lucky as a person but unsure as a product builder.

Sufiyan’s Unexpected Support

I wished to get confirmation from outside, from people I didn’t know. So, I challenged myself to cold message, interact with more people on LinkedIn and X. It took some time…And then, I received a message from someone across the globe — Sufiyan. Sufiyan saw one of my posts on X, checked my app, and sent me an email with a lot of precious information, feedback, and improvement ideas. I felt that my voice was not echoing in vain. Suddenly, the tunnel in which I was struggling to advance got more light. Before, I was using my flashlight to see my next step; now, I could see a little bit further.

While writing this article, I asked Sufiyan for his input on how he learned about me and OneCV.ai.

Sufiyan’s journey with OneCV.ai started when he stumbled upon my post on X. He had been searching for platforms to revamp his resume and stand out in the ever-competitive job market. Initially, he assumed OneCV.ai was just another generic resume-building tool, but to his surprise, it was different. The ability to align his resume with a job description, ensuring it was ATS-optimized, made him feel genuinely confident about applying. For the first time in a while, he felt like he had a real shot at standing out among thousands of candidates.

Since the platform was still an MVP, Sufiyan noticed several features that could further help job seekers like him. He reached out with suggestions based on real struggles job seekers face — challenges many platforms overlook. What truly resonated with him was how OneCV.ai wasn’t just another product, but a solution to a widespread problem. Many job seekers don’t even realize what’s wrong with their resumes or how to optimize them for ATS, and OneCV.ai was bridging that gap.

The Power of Unexpected Connections

I read an article in Nature Communications about how social networks function and how occasional interactions between strangers can lead to big gains because they introduce fresh perspectives from different backgrounds. Communication is based on common interests which sometimes are not visible in close-knit groups. Over time, even sporadic interactions can build meaningful relationships. The theory came to my mind after exchanging a few e-mails. Each time I received new feedback, I knew he was right, and I was following up with his suggestion as I started to consider Sufiyan my best adviser. Someone I had never met, with whom I had not asked for help, yet still, I received the help I was subconsciously hoping for.

The product that I’m building, onecv.ai, is a tool that helps job seekers tailor their resume in 2 minutes with the help of AI. Sufiyan suggested I build an ATS resume scoring tool — as many want to know how their resume matches with a certain job. We built this feature over a weekend. Now it is the most used feature and brings lots of users.

A Long Road Ahead, But Not Alone

As I started to learn more about building a business and raising funds, I realized that this is a long journey, that success will not come overnight, and one needs to be resilient. I suppose for most first-time founders it is like this. What I wish for all founders is to have their Sufiyan — someone who demonstrates that altruism exists and we, as humans, are supporting each other for the sake of an idea.

Try OneCV.ai for Yourself!

If you’re a job seeker looking to optimize your resume and prepare for interviews, try OneCV.ai. In just two minutes, AI helps tailor your resume for your target role, and our AI-powered tools guide you through interview prep to boost your confidence. And if you have feedback, I’d love to hear it — just like Sufiyan’s insights helped shape our platform, yours can too!

You can reach out to me at contact@onecv.ai or on LinkedIn: Simona Chitu | LinkedIn