One Month of Happily Employed: What I’ve Built, Broken, and Learned
One month ago, I launched Happily Employed with no team, no funding, and no plan beyond this:
What if job seekers shared the jobs they found but didn’t apply for - so someone else might have a shot?
That’s it. That was the spark.
No grand vision. Just a quiet rebellion against ghost roles, scammy listings, and job boards that feel more like graveyards than launchpads.
What’s happened since?
From Duct Tape to a Real Job Board
The first version ran on no-code tools and pure adrenaline. Airtable, Zapier, HTML converters — it was barely holding together.
Now, it’s a functioning platform.
It’s not perfect, but it’s cleaner, faster, and no longer makes me break into a cold sweat every time I post a new listing.
Every job is still reviewed and edited manually. No ghost roles. No unpaid internships. No “entry-level” jobs requiring 5 years of experience.
Over 1,000 Signups
With no ad budget. No launch party. No growth strategy.
Just people sharing it with others because they believed in the idea.
1,000+ people signed up to get real jobs sent straight to their inbox and that still blows my mind.
I’m Still Doing This Alone - But Not Quite
For the first few weeks, it was truly just me: designing, curating, emailing, building, and editing.
Now, a few people have reached out asking how they can help. All are fellow job seekers. Strangers offering solidarity, skills, and time.
I’ve started documenting everything, not because I’m handing things off, but because someday, someone else might want to join in. And I don’t want them to have to read my mind to help.
What’s Next?
I’ve started sketching a rough framework for an ethical employer certification - something like a B Corp, but for hiring practices.
I’ve reached out to potential partners in HR tech, community orgs, and nonprofits. I’ve also chased unpaid invoices from freelance work - just to keep the lights on.
This month has been equal parts progress and panic.
But every time I get a message saying,
“Thank you — this gives me hope.”
I remember why I started this.
This isn’t just a job board.
It’s a middle finger to broken systems.
It’s a space for job seekers who are sick of pretending they’re fine.
It’s something real.
And it’s only just begun.
If you’ve signed up, shared a post, or sent a kind word - thank you.
You’ve helped make a lonely process feel a little less lonely.
—
Ainsley Fagerström
Founder, Happily Employed
Job hunter. Builder. Still duct taping, but getting there.
