Last month, we launched Openspot, a more human alternative to LinkedIn, designed to help job seekers stand out through short video/audio intros and storytelling prompts. Think: YC-style application, but for the real job market.
We hit #1 on Hacker News and Product Hunt and got our first 200 users — early traction has been encouraging.
But here’s the challenge we’re now facing:
While some power users get it immediately, they upload video bios, fill out their profiles, and have already landed interviews — the majority just keep the pre-generated profile and bounce.
We built Openspot around the idea that resumes are becoming indistinguishable. With AI, every candidate “spearheaded cross-functional initiatives” and “drove impact across orgs.” It's harder than ever to tell who’s actually behind the text.
Our solution is to make hiring feel more human again, letting people show who they are, not just what they've done.
But now we're wondering:
How do we help more users understand that this is the point?
Should we focus on educating them through better onboarding, incentives, and nudges?
Or should we double down on finding more people who already “get it” without much explanation?
Curious if anyone has gone through something similar — building a product that requires a behavior shift. How did you cross the chasm between early believers and the rest?
That’s a fair comparison, but we’re aiming for something much deeper than just a pretty landing page.
Openspot is about curated professional identity. It lets people showcase not just what they do, but who they are — through video, audio, projects, and real storytelling. It’s built to help people stand out in a world where resumes are starting to look the same (especially with AI).
We’re also bringing in discovery tools for recruiters, so it’s not just a personal page — it’s a real alternative to the resume-black-hole problem.
Yeah Totally get that! for some people, sending a solid CV and letting the work speak for itself should be enough.
Openspot is more for folks who feel like their resume doesn’t tell the whole story. Maybe they’re career-switching, self-taught, or just want to show a bit more of who they are, not just what they’ve done.
That said, we’re working to make the process super lightweight — upload your resume, we generate a profile in under a minute. So it’s more of a bonus layer if you want to stand out, not a whole extra job search on top of everything else.
What’s wrong with LinkedIn (in our view):
- It’s become more like Facebook than a professional network: lots of noise, humblebrags, and algorithm-chasing.
- Everyone looks the same on paper — resumes blur together, and it’s hard to stand out.
- You're incentivized to perform rather than be real — especially if you're early in your career or outside of the “right” networks.
How we're different:
- No feed. No likes. No fake engagement.
- You show who you are with video, audio, and proof of work — like a mini personal pitch.
- Profiles are curated and designed to be browsed, not scrolled endlessly.
Re: network effects — We’re starting small and high-signal: curated profiles + inbound interest from early recruiters. Our goal isn’t to replace LinkedIn’s entire graph, it’s to become the place you go when you want to stand out and be discovered for real.
My last caution is to avoid the post function. On LinkedIn at least in my network it’s everyone posting typical self promotion but I’m seeing more political leaning content and mostly dare I say it - left leaning - which means I can’t say anything - but also means I know where my network stands on issues. That’s interesting but only serves to promote those agendas.
How are you going to make money? Linkedin makes money by blocking access to profiles unless you pay them. I don't see why your business model won't evolve to be just like them.
Since our initial launch, we have also launched in India, but we are currently working on all legal requirements to launch in more countries very soon!
We hit #1 on Hacker News and Product Hunt and got our first 200 users — early traction has been encouraging.
But here’s the challenge we’re now facing: While some power users get it immediately, they upload video bios, fill out their profiles, and have already landed interviews — the majority just keep the pre-generated profile and bounce.
We built Openspot around the idea that resumes are becoming indistinguishable. With AI, every candidate “spearheaded cross-functional initiatives” and “drove impact across orgs.” It's harder than ever to tell who’s actually behind the text.
Our solution is to make hiring feel more human again, letting people show who they are, not just what they've done.
But now we're wondering: How do we help more users understand that this is the point?
Should we focus on educating them through better onboarding, incentives, and nudges?
Or should we double down on finding more people who already “get it” without much explanation?
Curious if anyone has gone through something similar — building a product that requires a behavior shift. How did you cross the chasm between early believers and the rest?
Would love to hear your thoughts.