CraftMyPDF: How Jacky Tan Transformed a Simple Idea into a Thriving SaaS Business
Imagine saving hundreds of hours on document creation with just a few clicks. That’s the power of CraftMyPDF, founded by Jacky Tan. With a background in software development, Jacky set out to solve the complex challenges of dynamic document generation. CraftMyPDF provides businesses with a highly customizable PDF generation tool, integrating easily through APIs and offering a versatile template editor. Today, it's the go-to solution for developers, marketers, and companies seeking efficient document automation. But how did Jacky transform this idea into a growing, must-have tool for businesses? Let's explore the journey, strategies, and breakthroughs that crafted its success.
Jacky Tan
Founder, CraftMyPDF
The Idea
CraftMyPDF began when Jacky Tan identified a gap in the market for customizable, on-demand PDF generation. While working on other projects, he realized there was a lack of tools for developers and businesses to create pixel-perfect PDFs from reusable templates without complex coding. From this, CraftMyPDF was born as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform with a flexible, API-driven model allowing users to generate documents and images easily.
Challenges
Building CraftMyPDF had its challenges:
- Bootstrapped development: Jacky bootstrapped the company and tackled product development alone, minimizing costs by doing most of the development himself and working with freelancers.
- Slow marketing results: Marketing was also an issue—early efforts with paid ads like Google Ads didn’t bring the desired results. It took about six months before SEO efforts began to bear fruit.
- Design issues: The initial version had design issues, forcing a rapid iteration process after receiving critical feedback from early users.
Industry Context
PDF generation tools are a highly competitive niche within the broader SaaS space. Many businesses—particularly in e-commerce, education, and logistics—require automated solutions for document creation. Existing solutions often lacked flexibility or user-friendly interfaces, especially when integrated into no-code platforms. CraftMyPDF emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic when digital document processing became critical.
Founders
Jacky Tan was an experienced entrepreneur who had launched multiple micro-SaaS products, including APITemplate.io. Based in Singapore, he built CraftMyPDF to solve a problem he encountered—simplifying PDF generation for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Product
CraftMyPDF offers a drag-and-drop interface where users can design templates without extensive technical knowledge. Its API integrates smoothly with other platforms, including Zapier, Integromat, and REST API, enabling users to generate documents from JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) data. The tool is popular for automating invoices, packing lists, contracts, and certificates.
USP
What sets CraftMyPDF apart is its combination of a highly flexible API and a user-friendly design interface. Many competitors are either too rigid in their template designs or require a more technical setup. Jacky’s product bridges the gap by offering ease of use while maintaining deep customization, particularly for businesses relying on automated workflows.
Competitors
CraftMyPDF faces competition from established players like PDFShift, which converts HTML to PDFs, and WeasyPrint. However, CraftMyPDF’s no-code integration and customer-centric design give it an edge among smaller businesses and developers seeking quick implementation without extensive backend coding.
Build
Jacky launched CraftMyPDF after about three months of development. He gradually built visibility using SEO-driven blog posts and listing on platforms like Product Hunt, He iterated quickly by focusing on customer feedback and improving features like the UI/UX (user interface/user experience), which initially faced harsh criticism.
Implementation
CraftMyPDF officially launched in 2021 and quickly integrated with popular automation tools like Zapier and Integromat. Its API-focused approach made it highly scalable, allowing Jacky to support a growing user base without needing a large team.
Growth
Despite early struggles with marketing, CraftMyPDF’s steady SEO efforts paid off. The company now generates $24.7K in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) and has created over two million documents for its users. The business is bootstrapped, which keeps overheads low, and Jacky plans to expand further, possibly recruiting more team members soon.
Pricing
CraftMyPDF offers several pricing tiers based on usage needs:
- The Free Plan provides 50 PDFs/images and 3 templates per month.
- The Lite Plan provides 1200 PDFs/images and 6 templates.
- The Plus Plan provides 3000 PDFs/images and 15 templates.
- The Professional Plan offers 12,000 PDFs/images, 50 templates, and team management features.
- Higher tiers, like Premium and Enterprise, offer up to 300,000 PDFs/images and advanced customization options, catering to SMEs and larger businesses with higher volume needs.
You can also opt for an annual subscription to save up to 17%.
Key Takeaways
- Customer feedback is crucial: Jacky’s iterative approach allowed him to refine his product based on real-world use.
- Bootstrapping: It can work if you keep costs low and focus on validating the idea early.
- SEO beats paid ads: Organic traffic via SEO became the backbone of CraftMyPDF’s customer acquisition.
- Adaptability: CraftMyPDF’s unique mix of no-code integrations and developer-friendly API helped it stand out in a crowded market.
CraftMyPDF demonstrates the power of an iterative, feedback-driven approach to product development. The company has carved out a niche in the PDF automation market by focusing on user needs and emphasizing integrations.
If you need a better understanding of improving products using feedback across development stages, here’s our “Iterative Development Process” guide.
Jacky’s reliance on SEO for customer acquisition highlights the importance of content marketing for SaaS startups. With plans to expand its team and explore new promotional avenues, CraftMyPDF is positioned for continued growth.