Navigate through the case study sections
When Jacob Jacquet graduated in 2015 with a 2.2 GPA, he realized his resume did all the talking. He shared a Word template on Reddit at $9.69 and got an avalanche of requests. That early win set the stage for Rezi, a SaaS resume builder that now uses AI to fine-tune formatting and keywords. Rezi sits at the intersection of design, technology, and hiring—helping job seekers stand out in an overcrowded applicant pool.
In 2016, Jacquet moved to Seoul to tap into Korea’s startup scene and teach English for visa support. He self-funded development and by 2019 launched Rezi’s first web app. Partnerships with AppSumo and StackCommerce during the pandemic unlocked tens of thousands of users. As people scrambled to retool during lockdowns, Rezi’s no-code interface and AI checks addressed a real pain point: automated formatting and scanning compliance.
Rezi leaned into forced virality by giving away its top plan for free on social. In October 2023, that single day drove nearly 70K sign-ups. From there, SEO optimization around “AI Resume Builder” delivered steady, organic traffic. Today the site sees over 430K visits per month, with 18% MoM growth. Minimal ad spend (about $15K/month before pausing) and an anti-churn cancellation flow helped push customer lifetime value up to $101.90.
Operating out of a small Seoul office, the 11-person team keeps development salaries reasonable. Jacquet credits a tight cap table and avoiding dilution for staying in control. With a 54.97% profit margin, Rezi is fully self-sustaining and reinvests selectively. No fancy investors, no massive burn—just a focus on user experience and continual product tweaks.
• Start simple: a Word document validated demand.
• Optimize for SEO: owning “AI resume builder” keywords delivers lasting traffic.
• User obsession: free templates, real-time checks, and minimal ad noise creates word-of-mouth.
• Control equity: lean cap table meant agility without investor pressure.
Jacquet plans to enhance AI features—adding cover letter generation and LinkedIn profile audits. There’s talk of enterprise integrations with HR platforms, which could open a B2B revenue stream. For now, the focus remains on core users and keeping churn low.
Subscribe to access the tools and technologies used in this case study.
Subscribe NowSubscribe to access the step-by-step replication guide for this case study.
Subscribe NowShare your success story with our community of entrepreneurs.
Discover other inspiring business success stories
Katya Varbanova leveraged her social media consultancy background to launch Viral Content Templates in December 2019. Sh...
Viral Content Templates
OODIENCE specializes in selling blogs and content sites valued from $300K to $30M, using proactive buyer searches and ta...
OODIENCE
Ryan Kulp started out chasing screamo stages, then taught himself to code and joined a VC fund in San Francisco. He and ...
Fomo