In late 2023, Stefano Mellone and Federico Elia launched LABORO, an open-source AI tool designed to automate the job application process. It was built to help job seekers bypass the tedious, time-consuming process of applying to multiple job listings by automating it through AI.
The tool was a success. It did exactly what it was meant to do: it saved job seekers time, increased their chances of getting noticed, and proved that the job market didn’t need to be this inefficient.
But that success caught the attention of the wrong people.
Within days, LinkedIn banned their accounts — not because they broke any laws, but because LABORO threatened the very structure that LinkedIn relied on. The tool was taking away what LinkedIn had been selling: the value of manual, repetitive job applications.
Standing Up Against a Broken System
Instead of backing down, Stefano Mellone and Federico Elia saw an opportunity. They realized that the real problem wasn’t LinkedIn itself — it was the entire job market. A market where qualified people often get overlooked because they’re not fast enough, or their applications are stuck in outdated systems.
Rather than letting the ban kill their progress, they doubled down. They pivoted, reworked the idea, and decided to build something bigger — LABORO became the full-fledged AI Job Operator that could automatically scan, match, and apply to jobs across the entire internet.
What Makes LABORO Different
Unlike other platforms, LABORO doesn’t just focus on LinkedIn or a single job board. It scans every job post available, uses AI to match the roles to your resume, and then automatically submits applications for you — all at scale.
LABORO empowers job seekers to cut through the noise, get noticed, and stop wasting time on ineffective job applications.
The Mission Continues
The LinkedIn ban didn’t break Stefano and Federico. It fueled them. They knew they had to build something outside the constraints of one platform, something scalable and inevitable.
Now, LABORO is live, and it’s a product designed to give job seekers the power back. It’s about making the job search process efficient, transparent, and automated — without the usual roadblocks.
Their journey proves that true innovation often comes with resistance. But that resistance is exactly what makes the final product stronger.
