CraftMyPDF
About the Company
CraftMyPDF.com and APITemplate.io are API-based tools that help businesses generate PDFs and images using reusable templates. CraftMyPDF features a drag-and-drop editor aimed at non-technical users, while APITemplate.io focuses on HTML to PDF conversions, requiring some technical knowledge. These products cater to different market segments, with CraftMyPDF designed for citizen developers and APITemplate.io for more technical users.
The company operates from Singapore and has successfully generated substantial recurring revenue by addressing the automation needs of businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The products have been instrumental in helping companies automate document creation, a vital aspect of the digitization trend.
Idea Behind Company
Jacky Tan's journey as an entrepreneur began with a passion for startups. After several ventures, including a web-based collaboration platform and a robotics startup, he sought a more sustainable business model. His experience during the pandemic led him to identify a gap in the market for a user-friendly PDF generation service with a template editor.
His freelance work highlighted the lack of simple, no-code tools for generating PDFs, inspiring him to develop CraftMyPDF and APITemplate.io. The aim was to create a product that could be built quickly, targeted the B2B market, and operated on a subscription-based model, fulfilling the increasing demand for automated and digitized solutions.
Creating the Company
Jacky set clear guidelines for his product: it should be focused, quick to develop, and subscription-based. He narrowed down his ideas using a mind map and chose to create a PDF generation API, leveraging his technical background. A $300 SaaS boilerplate was purchased to speed up development, allowing him to focus on core features.
Within weeks, the core of APITemplate.io was built, and image generation capabilities were added soon after. The product was integrated with third-party services like Stripe and deployed on AWS. Initial feedback from customers helped refine the product, proving the importance of launching quickly and iterating based on user input.
Launching the Business
Jacky took an iterative approach to launching his products, focusing on customer feedback to guide development. The initial website and branding were set up quickly, though they underwent changes based on user feedback. The official launch on ProductHunt helped increase visibility, while SEO became the primary strategy for attracting and retaining customers.
Google Ads were initially used but proved ineffective, leading to a stronger focus on SEO and content marketing. This approach took several months to yield results but eventually became the main driver of traffic. Regular updates and UI/UX improvements, based on customer feedback, further enhanced the product, helping to build a loyal customer base.
Earnings
Today, CraftMyPDF and APITemplate.io generate $15,000 in MRR, driven mainly by SEO efforts and customer feedback. The company’s future plans include expanding its team to accelerate development and support. Jacky emphasizes the importance of balancing product development with marketing, validating ideas early, and iterating based on feedback.
Lessons learned include the critical role of marketing in gaining traction, the need to launch products early, and the value of customer feedback in refining a product. The journey has also taught him the importance of stress management and the rewards of perseverance in building a successful startup.
