From Idea to Launch: Building Credenza.app with Modern Web Technologies

Job searching in 2025 feels broken. Despite a seemingly robust job market, qualified candidates are sending hundreds of applications and hearing nothing back. The culprit? Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that automatically filter out 75% of resumes before human eyes ever see them. 98% of Fortune 500 companies now use these systems, creating an invisible barrier between job seekers and opportunities.

When this problem hit close to home — watching a family member spend 5+ hours crafting each application, only to face radio silence — we knew we had to build a solution. Today, we're excited to share the story behind Credenza.app, our AI-powered platform that helps job seekers create optimized resumes and cover letters in minutes, not hours.

The Problem That Demanded a Solution

The inspiration for Credenza didn't come from market research or competitive analysis. It came from frustration — the kind that keeps you up at night thinking "there has to be a better way."

We'd been aware of job market challenges since 2021, but the problem became personal when a family member shared their job search struggles. They were spending up to 5 hours per application: 3 hours optimizing their resume for each job posting, and another 2 hours crafting a tailored cover letter. Multiply that by hundreds of applications, and you're looking at a full-time job just to find a full-time job.

Our research revealed the scope of this problem:

• Job seekers typically spend 2-3 hours customizing each resume
• A complete application takes 4-6 hours on average
• Professional resume services cost $200-500 per revision
• Monthly subscription tools charge $10-50/month, even when you're not actively job searching

When we spoke with family, friends, and their networks, the consensus was clear: everyone was experiencing the same frustration. The current system wasn't just inefficient — it was fundamentally broken.

Our Solution: AI-Powered Application Optimization

Credenza tackles this problem with a simple but powerful approach: let AI handle the tedious optimization work so job seekers can focus on what matters — preparing for interviews.

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Build Your Master Profile (30 minutes, one time) Users create a comprehensive profile with all their experience, skills, and achievements. This becomes the foundation for all future applications.

Step 2: Create a Job Application (3-5 minutes) Users paste job posting details — company name, position, requirements, and description. Our AI analyzes these requirements against their profile.

Step 3: AI-Optimized Resume Generation (30-60 seconds) Our AI restructures bullet points to highlight relevant experience, optimizes keywords for ATS compatibility, and adjusts formatting for maximum readability — all while maintaining the user's authentic voice.

Step 4: Personalized Cover Letter (30-60 seconds) The AI generates a cover letter that speaks directly to the company's needs, addresses specific requirements from the job posting, and maintains a professional tone that matches the company culture.

The result? A complete, optimized job application in about 5 minutes total — a 95% time reduction compared to manual optimization.

Building with Modern Web Technologies

As a web development agency, we knew Credenza had to exemplify the kind of robust, scalable solutions we build for our clients. We chose our tech stack carefully, prioritizing performance, developer experience, and long-term maintainability.

Frontend Architecture

Next.js 15 with TypeScript formed our foundation. The App Router's server components allowed us to optimize performance while TypeScript ensured code reliability as our team grew. We particularly leveraged Next.js's streaming capabilities for our AI-generated content, providing users with real-time feedback as their applications were being optimized.

Tailwind CSS with Shadcn/ui handled our design system. This combination gave us the flexibility of utility-first CSS with the consistency of pre-built components. For a small team moving fast, this meant we could focus on functionality while maintaining a polished, professional interface.

AI Integration Challenges

The biggest technical hurdle was integrating AI effectively. We initially started with Vercel's AI SDK, which seemed like the obvious choice for a Next.js application. However, we quickly hit limitations when trying to implement complex prompt engineering and response formatting.

The breakthrough came when we switched directly to Anthropic's API. This gave us complete control over our prompts, allowing us to:

• Fine-tune responses for different industries and job levels
• Implement multi-step analysis (job requirements → profile matching → content generation)
• Handle edge cases and provide consistent formatting

Backend and Data Management

Neon PostgreSQL serves as our primary database, chosen for its serverless architecture and excellent Next.js integration. We store user profiles, job applications, and generated content with full ACID compliance.

Redis (Upstash) handles caching and session management. This was crucial for performance — we cache job analysis results and frequently accessed profile data, reducing response times by 60%.

Stripe integration handles our credit-based payment system. Unlike subscription models that charge monthly fees, our users only pay for what they use — typically $0.62-$0.80 per complete application.

The PDF Generation Challenge

One of our most frustrating technical challenges was PDF generation. Initially, we tried generating PDFs client-side in the browser, but the results were inconsistent — layouts broke, colors rendered incorrectly, and fonts didn't load properly across different devices.

The solution was moving PDF generation to Cloudflare Workers. By rendering PDFs server-side, we achieved:

• Consistent formatting across all devices
• Proper font rendering and color accuracy
• Faster generation times
• Better error handling

This architectural decision exemplifies our approach to client projects: when something doesn't work reliably, we find a better way, even if it means additional complexity.

Content Management and Marketing

Sanity.io powers our CMS, allowing us to manage blog content, testimonials, and marketing pages with a clean, developer-friendly interface. The real-time collaboration features proved invaluable during our final push to launch.

Resend handles transactional emails — welcome messages, application confirmations, and credit purchase receipts. The developer experience is excellent, and the deliverability rates are outstanding.

Development Timeline and Team Dynamics

Credenza's development took place over a compact but focused timeline:

First 3 weeks (June 22 - July 13, 2024): Working 1-2 hours per week, we built the core infrastructure and basic functionality. This slow-and-steady approach allowed us to make thoughtful architectural decisions without rushing.

Final 2 weeks (July 2025): We ramped up to 1-3 hours daily, except weekends, for the final push. This intensive period focused on polish, testing, and optimization.

Launch Strategy and Early Results

Rather than a big splash launch, we chose a measured approach:

Waitlist Validation: We built demand with a simple landing page, collecting emails and feedback from potential users.

Soft Launch: Tomorrow's launch includes our first 50 users, who receive 15 free credits to test the platform thoroughly.

Feedback-Driven Development: Every feature request and bug report will inform our roadmap. We're building this product with our users, not just for them.

Early beta results are promising:

Users complete their profile setup in 30 minutes (one-time effort)

Job applications take 3-5 minutes to create

AI analysis and optimization completes in 2-3 minutes total

Net time savings: 95% compared to manual optimization

Lessons for Client Projects

Building Credenza taught us valuable lessons that directly improve our client work:

Start with the Problem, Not the Solution: We could have built a generic resume builder, but focusing on the specific ATS optimization problem led to a more targeted, valuable solution.

Choose Technology for Long-term Success: Our tech stack decisions prioritized maintainability and scalability over trendy tools. This approach serves our clients well when building systems they'll use for years.

Validate Early and Often: Even informal conversations with potential users provided crucial insights. We apply this validation mindset to every client project.

Performance Matters More Than Features: Users care more about fast, reliable optimization than having 50 different resume templates. This focus on core functionality over feature bloat guides our client recommendations.

User Experience Trumps Technical Complexity: Moving PDF generation to Cloudflare Workers added technical complexity but dramatically improved user experience — the right trade-off.

What's Next for Credenza

Our roadmap focuses on user-driven improvements:

Interview Preparation Tools: AI-powered interview question generation based on job postings

Application Tracking: Help users manage their job search pipeline

Industry-Specific Optimization: Specialized prompts for different sectors and job levels

Integration Features: Direct connections to job boards and ATS systems

But beyond features, Credenza represents something larger: proof that small teams can build meaningful solutions to real problems using modern web technologies.

Building Your Own Product?

Credenza showcases the same approach we bring to client projects: understanding the real problem, choosing the right technologies, and executing with quality and attention to detail. Whether you're looking to build a SaaS platform, optimize an existing application, or create a custom web solution, the principles remain the same.

The difference between a good idea and a successful product often comes down to execution — the technical decisions, user experience choices, and attention to detail that turn concepts into solutions people actually use.

If you're considering building your own product or need help bringing an idea to life, we'd love to hear about your project. The same team that built Credenza from concept to launch can help you navigate the technical and strategic decisions that make products successful.

Ready to see Credenza in action? Visit credenza.app and join our first 50 users to receive 15 free credits. Experience firsthand the kind of thoughtful, user-focused development we bring to every project.

Want to discuss your own product idea? Book a free discovery call with our team. Let's explore how we can help you build something meaningful.

Credenza.app launches 1 August 2025 with our credit-based pricing starting at just $3.99 for 15 credits. No monthly subscriptions, no hidden fees — just results when you need them. Follow our journey and get development insights at skein.dev/blog.