[dominikb]

Make it automated and mobile: build a beautiful CV from an iPhone app, pay via in-app purchase and get 5 physical printouts delivered (also PDF in email and HTML version hosted for sharing).

Your sales will jump from $10,000 to $100,000.

[peter_l_downs]

Why mobile? I'd much rather edit my résumé on a computer with a full keyboard.

[dominikb]

1. You're a geek, you prefer computers. Random people who need help with CVs don't see it that way. They take whatever they find.

2. They find the app because it's cool to try and use. Websites are boring and obstruct. Apps generate huge traction way faster. The in-app payments are also easier for users, no credit card forms.

3. Smartphones outsell computers by 20% every day.

4. Once you find a way to make the interface great on a phone, you can deliver to tablets easily.

Build future now. Change the pain to fun.

[ErrantX]

I think a CV is something you have more investment in; I don't think as many people would be searching on their phones for an app... especially as writing a CV generally happens on a PC.

You're more likely to be sitting in front of a word processor bleakly wondering how to prep it up - and go do some Googling for CV tips...

[dominikb]

What's more likely - that you go to a resume builder website when your mate recommends, or download an app? What would you recommend - a cool app, or a website?

Apps are physical and cool. CVs should be fun to do. That's the future. Assuming that the desktop is a primary device for people in 2012 is just wrong. Also, CVs don't need to contain huge amounts of text; better keep it simple.

[calvin]

You're right about apps being popular and continually growing in importance.

However, you're talking about a task (creating/updating a CV) that takes a lot of manual work and editing. It could certainly be automated to a large extent by grabbing existing information from LinkedIn or Facebook or wherever. But when you get down to the details, there's a lot to write. That will never be fun to do in an app.

I can't imagine people caring how "fun" a CV app/website is so long as it helps them get the resume updated and get a new job.

[dominikb]

I agree. But we also thought it's not possible to cut video on a phone before iPhone.

Look around, millions of people grab 1080p and cut on a pocket device. Not just that, much more.

I was suggesting to be creative and think ahead. I am biased, but I believe it would work great and bring revenue to the table fast.

[coderdude]

Probably the website since it's more useful for the task. Plus apps aren't cool or physical (unless you mean the touching your phone part). I could see the word-of-mouth factor being higher for an app, but the app would have to work very well for the task and I don't think that's something that would be easy to achieve with the form factor and the fact that most devices deny you a physical keyboard. So maybe something that only requires light editing and pulls most of the data from outside sources?

[dominikb]

I see your technical point of view, but the average user market shows something else. People couldn't imagine doing stuff they do on a phone before iPhone. Now they do all sorts of mass content creation and they prefer it.

UI is just a matter of how much energy you put into it. It's not easy, but can be done. See iMovie, mobile bitmap editors, Garage Band... Difficult and unbelievable 5 years ago, but clearly doable.

If not phones, then at least tablets.

I do admit that I am a post-pc era freak though.