100% feel the same way. I´ll look into building an API for that so more people/companies can use it.
208 karma · joined October 2, 2022
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.
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.
To build fast, we used cursor and some other third party SaaS like streamIO and Supabase.
Since then: - we hit #1 on Product Hunt the next day - got featured in their daily + weekly newsletter - 1,500+ sign ups - 1,000+ waitlist sign ups from non US countries - 32,000+ website visitors - 35 recruiter signed up
The response gave us so much conviction that we decided to go all-in: we left our Big Tech jobs to work on Openspot full time.
It still feels surreal.
What we are building: In a world where AI can write the perfect resume for anyone, what actually makes you stand out is you — your personality, your voice, your story. That’s what OpenSpot helps you showcase — through video, audio, projects, and more.
If you're curious what we've learned so far — from launch tactics to handling the wave of attention to quitting Big Tech jobs to build this full-time — happy to share everything.
You nailed it: their true moat isn’t tech, it’s scale and inertia. Everyone’s on it, even if they hate it. That’s what makes it both frustrating and interesting to challenge — not because it's easy, but because it’s overdue.
We’re not trying to beat LinkedIn at their own game (at least not yet) — we’re focused on solving one painful wedge: helping people actually stand out and get discovered without shouting into a noisy feed or spraying cold applications into the void.
If we can win on that one slice of user need (especially among early-career folks, designers, PMs, indie hackers, etc.), we believe there’s room to build up a meaningful alternative, piece by piece. Small, high-signal networks that grow from the edge rather than trying to eat the core from day one.
Appreciate the thoughtful challenge — these are exactly the conversations that keep us grounded and ambitious at the same time.
Funny enough, “The Anti-LinkedIn” has come up more than once during this launch - and I agree, the copy kind of writes itself when people feel the same pain.
Also +1 on Huntr — great tool! We’re focused more on visibility and standing out before the apply button, but I think they complement each other well.
You nailed something really important: the real opportunity is to create networks with actual signal — thoughtful discussions, deep expertise, and real connection. Not the dopamine feed. We’re starting super lightweight, but that’s absolutely part of the long-term vision.
And yeah… LinkedIn Learning + random recruiter spam + engagement farming = what pushed us to build this in the first place. Thanks again for taking the time — would love to stay in touch as we build.
OpenSpot isn’t meant to replace formal resumes entirely — it’s designed to help people stand out before that stage. It’s public, searchable, and curated — so if a recruiter finds someone interesting, they can reach out directly or request a formal resume.
Photos are optional, but yeah — they can help distinguish one Jane Doe from another, especially in a directory-style setting. Same goes for a short intro, project link, or anything else that brings some personality into the mix.
Photos are not required on OpenSpot - We included them because some people want to humanize their profile — but we’re also very aware of the bias/discrimination concerns, especially in the U.S.
The intent isn’t to mimic LinkedIn or create a polished image-centric profile like a dating app — it’s to offer optional ways for people to show who they are, beyond just a list of bullet points. For some, that’s a photo. For others, it’s a project demo or a short intro about their work.
That said, we’re actively listening and learning. If we find that photos do more harm than good — especially around bias or UX — we’re open to evolving that part of the product.
Thanks again for the thoughtful take — this kind of feedback makes the product better.
The reason OpenSpot might "suck less" for some is because it focuses only on one thing: helping people stand out. No feed, no fluff, no algorithm — just a clean, curated profile where you can show off your skills, projects, and intent in a way that cuts through the noise.
And to be clear: you don’t have to record a video. That’s optional. Some people link to projects, write a short blurb, or just highlight their strengths in a more human way than a traditional CV.
It’s not a LinkedIn replacement — it’s an alternative for those who feel like they’re getting buried in the system and want more visibility without the social media layer.
Appreciate the honest question!
The goal with OpenSpot isn’t to force everyone to do more unpaid work or replace resumes entirely — it’s to give people who want to stand out an easy, high-signal way to do so, especially if they’re not getting traction through traditional means.
For recruiters, the platform is curated and searchable, so they’re not sifting through hundreds of TikTok-style intros — they’re seeing real signals of quality, with depth if they want it.
We're not trying to increase the noise — we're trying to cut through it.
Totally agree: we're not trying to compete with LinkedIn's network (yet). Our focus right now is exactly what you said — making it beautiful and dead simple to create a portfolio that feels personal, professional, and worth sharing. Something that makes people say: “I want one of those.”
We’ve got network effects on the roadmap too — things like tagging collaborators, showcasing teams, and making intros more fluid — but only once we’ve nailed the individual value first.
Appreciate you taking the time
While we are still super early and the platform you are seeing is our MVP, you're absolutely right on all points, and we've already added everything you mentioned to our backlog. We're now working on improving the resume/LinkedIn import, giving users more control over summaries and ordering, and adding fields for certifications and clearances.
Also, great catch on the viewport detection — we'll tweak that so it doesn’t block onboarding just because your browser window isn’t full screen. Thanks again for taking the time to test it and share your thoughts
LinkedIn still works for networking or sales in some cases, but when it comes to job searching and hiring, it’s become almost unusable. The signal-to-noise ratio is brutal, especially for job posts, and candidates feel like they’re just shouting into the void.
We're not trying to turn hiring into a popularity contest or a casting call. The point of video or a photo isn’t to favor looks — it’s to give people a chance to show personality, communication skills, or walk through a project — especially in roles where that matters (e.g. PMs, founders, designers, etc.).
That said, both video and photo are optional. We’ve seen that for many candidates, especially those early in their careers or from non-traditional backgrounds, a short video can dramatically increase response rates — not because of appearance, but because it humanizes them and cuts through the noise of generic applications.
We’re 100% aligned that character and substance matter most — we just want to give people more ways to show that, not perform for it.
With OpenSpot, we decided to skip the feed entirely. Instead of trying to fix the feed, we just removed it. No likes, no endless scrolling, no performance metrics — just individual profiles curated around quality signals.
It’s not about restricting average Joe, but about giving real talent — whether loud or quiet — a space to be discovered for what they do, not how often they post.
We’re not pushing video as a requirement — it’s just one option for people who want to show more personality or communicate things that don’t come across in text. Some folks prefer writing, some showcase projects or code — all of that works on OpenSpot.
The idea is to give people more ways to be seen for who they are, not force everyone into the same format.