Readdle

Tech (Product)
Berlin, Gdansk, Kyiv, Odesa
Verified
We improve people's lives with the help of technology

Readdle is a Ukrainian-founded software development company that creates popular applications: Documents, Scanner Pro, PDF Expert, Calendars, Spark, and B2B product Fluix. More than 200 million people worldwide downloaded the company's products. Its business customers are such global brands as Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Zurich Insurance and Scandinavian Airlines.

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300+employees
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7hubs in Odesa, Kyiv, Berlin, Gdansk, Warsaw, Lisbon, London
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200+ million product downloads
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16years on the market

The company develops record-breaking applications

Readdle develops applications that increase productivity and help streamline workflow for people and businesses. The main products familiar to almost all iOS users are Documents, PDF Expert, Spark, Scanner Pro, Calendars, and B2B product Fluix.

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On the first day after the launch of iOS 14, Readdle products were installed by a record number of people — 140,000, and the total number of downloads reached more than 200 million.

The Documents app for the new M1 Mac was unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference 2021. Spark was the Best Android App of 2021. It won the Golden Kitty Award in the Productivity category. The Calendars app won the Red Dot Award for best design. The Apple company added PDF Expert to the Editor's Choice list in 2022.

To see an iPhone and... come up with a product for it

In 2007, Steve Jobs presented the first iPhone in San Francisco. Meanwhile, in Odesa, university friends Ihor Zhadanov, Oleksandr Tiahulskyi, Andrian Budantsov, and Dmytro Protserov dreamt to create their own large-scale and helpful software product. After seeing the presentation, they decided to bring a miracle smartphone from the United States, intuitively realizing that this is the technology of the future. And then it turned out that the users can’t even read a book on an iPhone.

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The App Store will appear only in a year, and so far the guys have come up with the service Readdle, which allows everyone to read books on iPhones through the Safari browser. The name was born from the word ‘read’ with the then trendy doubling of letters. Two months after its launch, Readdle had 60,000 users, and in the first year of its existence, Readdle entered the top ten services for the iPhone.

Readdle caught Apple’s attention. The company asked if Readdle would like to submit its app for the launch of the new iOS marketplace, the App Store.
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Odesans agreed at once. However, it was necessary to create an application in a very short time. The ReaddleDocs application was ready after four months of sleepless nights and endless Skype calls between Kyiv (one of the co-founders was working in the capital at that time) and Odesa.

In 2009, the team released Scanner Pro, their most famous application. It was a document scanner for iPhone and iPad. Scanner Pro was not a unique product in the market, but Readdle made it very technological, convenient, and fast. It helped to win the competition and become the #1 app in the Business category in the App Store for more than two years. The next breakthrough was PDF Expert in 2010.

Readdle experimented with different ideas. There were more than 40 products in the portfolio. At the moment, the company is developing six products. The number of employees has also increased. 270+ people work in the company. Although, five years ago the team consisted of 80+ Readdlers.

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With Odesa in the heart from any spot in the world

Readdle is originally from Odesa. That’s why its main office is located there. The company also has hubs in Kyiv, Berlin, and Gdansk — spaces where employees can work in comfortable conditions.

Nowadays, team members work remotely from 30+ countries: Ukraine, USA, Ireland, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, India, Great Britain, and Cyprus.

In Readdle, the employees can work in different offices and hubs. The option to work remotely is also available.

In 2019, the Berlin Hub short-term relocation program was operating for half a year. The company paid for a two-week accommodation and a round-trip flight for all employees who were interested in trying to work from Berlin. Neither the position nor the term of work in the company mattered. It was a great opportunity to look at the local community, attend open master classes, conferences, and workshops, change the scenery, and meet with customers.

The employees could also analyze and improve internal processes, and adapt them to work remotely. More than 30 people took part in the program.

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Nowadays, the Berlin Hub is the active office of the company and is open to all employees.

Shelter room, Starlink, and recruitment during a full-scale war

After the full-scale invasion began, a Shelter Room appeared in Readdle. It is a room where supplies of water and food are stored for employees and their families in case of unforeseen circumstances. The office has all the conditions for a comfortable stay and work. A generator and Starlink provide light and an Internet connection during blackouts. In addition, the company organizes the delivery of free lunches for everyone who works in the office.

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Everyone can work in complete silence or meditate in the middle of the day in two silent-rooms. These are cozy rooms without windows with good noise insulation. The office also has a separate room for informal meetings with beanbags, a cool library (assembled according to the recommendations of the executive team), as well as a projector for cozy evenings after work.

Remote work has become quite common for Readdle because of Covid-19. Most positions in the company allowed the employees to work remotely. During the last two years, the company hired and adopted more than 100 employees. This experience made it possible to be partially prepared for the realities of a full-scale war because many people from Readdle worked from different parts of the world and Ukraine. With the outbreak of the full-scale war, the company provided financial assistance to all team members.

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Even after February 24, 2022, Readdle did not stop hiring people. The company continues to grow and support the economy of Ukraine. In addition, some hubs appeared in Gdansk and Berlin, and the Kyiv office moved to a new, safer, and more comfortable office center.

What about the schedule? It is convenient for everyone

Readdle does not count the working hours of employees and believes that the employees can build their schedule so that it is convenient and productive for the team. The Readdlers adjust their schedules, even if they work in different time zones.

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Andrii Druk,
Product Engineering Lead, Spark
We built all processes for distributed work from the very beginning. All tools and services are accessible via VPN, so it doesn't matter where the employee works. The employees usually communicate through Slack, Spark, and other work apps (Github, Azure, etc.). So far, there have been no problems working online. However, the full-scale war has made adjustments to the work schedule of some team members. We try to provide them with everything they need at home and encourage them to work from offices in Kyiv and Odesa. There is always a stable Internet connection and Starlink.

The Customer Support team has a less flexible schedule because they need to take into account the time zones in which the users of the product are located. However, the Readdlers try to be as flexible as possible.

Working hours are divided into shifts, and not only Saturday and Sunday are days off, but other days too. The company always tries to choose the optimal schedule for each team.
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Oleksandra Pashel,
Head of Customer Support
The employees who work in Ukraine have only day shifts due to power outages that happen quite often in the evenings. However, we take into account the curfew so that employees have the opportunity to get home from the office. In case of air raid sirens, we encourage them to go to a shelter.

What about vacations? The company offers a time offs kit. Everyone can count on 25 working days of vacation per year, unlimited paid sick leave, and paternity/maternity leave.

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Alina Bielkina,
HR Business Partner
We develop a Culture of adults in Readdle and believe that there is no need to control the employees. We always set product goals. Based on these goals the company creates team and individual tasks. Our Head of Sales was living in the USA when Readdle offered him a job. He understood that there was a 10-hour time difference between the USA and Ukraine. His entire team was in Odesa (Ukraine). As of 2023, the team is not only in Odesa, but also in Lviv, London, Sofia, Berlin, and Krakow. Sometimes he has business calls at 6 a.m. He has to get up early because he needs to be in synergy with the team. In turn, the team (if possible) plans the meetings so that the time is convenient for him as well. I like this approach: there is freedom, everyone's awareness, and no control.

Work tools — MacBooks and iPhones

One of the greatest advantages of Readdle is that the company provides Apple technology to work with. The employees of Readdle also have the opportunity to purchase gadgets for personal use at a significant discount as part of the Readdle Device Program. The company develops applications for iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. The team members are always the main users of their products.

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Other advantages and benefits of Readdle:

  • English Program.  English is a corporate and working language in Readdle. The company offers 50% compensation for English language learning and practice convenient for the employee (company courses, private lessons, online platforms, etc.).

  • Sport Program. Readdle compensates for some sports activities (partially) such as gym membership, dance lessons, yoga, boxing, pool membership, etc.

  • Education Program. The company compensates the employees for offline educational events (fully or partially) in Ukraine, worldwide, or online conferences, seminars, training, etc.

  • Readdle Library. The internal library of the company consists of must-read books recommended by the founders and Talent Managers. All team members can request to purchase a desired book, which will become part of the Readdle library.

  • Medical Insurance. The company provides employees and their family members with medical insurance for emergencies.

  • Mental Health Program. It is the benefit that was created with the onset of full-scale war. Nowadays, Readdle pays 50% for psychological therapies.
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When working remotely, it is especially important not to lose contact. Since the beginning of the quarantine, Readdle has been practicing All Hands Meetings — online calls with the CEO and top managers of the company. The team learn first-hand about all the company's news, goals, results, and plans.

The first employee still works for the company

How comfortable is it to work in Readdle? So much so that the first employee has been working in Reddle for 15 years. Readdle consisted of four founders 15 years ago. The fifth member of the team, i.e. the first employee, still works there! Think he just got stuck there? Not at all. He grows professionally and develops himself. In 2008, Serhii Ishchuk became an engineer, then a Head of Engineering. Nowadays, he holds the position of a Product Manager in Calendars.

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Serhii Ishchuk,
Product Manager in Calendars
My work in the company began with getting to know Mac OS X and the first attempts to write code for iOS. I managed to take part in various projects and launched most of the company's products (including those that have already become popular).
Looking back on my years in Readdle, it feels like I was studying for an MBA, where I had to understand various business processes and learn new skills. I worked my way up from Junior Developer to Product Manager. I had to learn design principles, rules of working with the user, persuasive skills, and strategy development in addition to writing code and technical skills.
I doubt that I would be able to repeat such a path moving from company to company. Readdle has been a very important part of my life for a long period. I experienced success and accepted failures there.
I believe that Readdle has a great future because we have an excellent team and the right orientations!

«Для мене робота в компанії почалася зі знайомства з Mac OS X і першими спробами писати код для iOS. За 16 років я встиг взяти участь у роботі над більшістю продуктів компанії (включно з тими, які вже стали історією).

Озираючись на роки в Readdle, здається, що вчуся на MBA, де доводиться розбиратися в різноманітних процесах бізнесу й опановувати усе нові вміння. Я пройшов шлях від Junior-розробника до управління продуктом. На цьому шляху довелося і доводиться вчитися багато чого на додачу до написання коду й технічних навичок: від принципів дизайну і правил роботи з користувачем до навичок переконання і розробки стратегії.

Я сумніваюся, що мені б вдалося повторити такий шлях, переходячи з компанії в компанію. Та й уже багато років Readdle є дуже важливою частиною мого життя, де успіхи і поразки сприймаються особисто.

Я вірю, що у Readdle прекрасне майбутнє, адже у нас відмінна команда і правильні орієнтири!».

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Сергій Іщук,
Product Manager в Calendars

A conference that all employees love

Maybe you're used to the fact that the company's annual report is boring. However, Readdle's Insights from the Inside conference is an event that all employees love and look forward to.

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Insights from the Inside consists of three parts. It is not only an important strategic meeting but also a meeting of old friends who are so excited to see each other. They can communicate with each other until night.

During the first part, the founders talk about the company's mission, key achievements, and development plans for the next year. It helps everyone to be on the same wavelength.

During the second part, the product managers talk about product updates, purpose, product positioning, and changes in business models.

The third part of the conference is more informal. The team members share their personal stories. Everyone can take the floor. For example the employees can talk about their designer career paths and all the changes in their worldview that took place during this time. Such stories about team members, their career development, and their professional growth are very inspiring.

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In pre-quarantine and pre-war times, a lot of other Readdle corporate events took place right after the conference: meetings with product users and a company birthday party. Team members from all over the world, trainees, and former employees came to Odesa to celebrate Readdle's birthday, of course, at the expense of the company.

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You can build a dream career here

In Readdle, you will have all the tools to build your dream career. It is essential to understand your desires and ambitions, and the company will help you achieve them. The stories about success from team members are not only about vertical and horizontal growth but also about changing roles.

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Yuliia Nikolaienko,
Executive Director, Fluix
I joined Readdle in 2012. I started working as an Account Manager/Customer Support/Sales Manager. I made the right decision. In 2012, we did everything necessary for the development of a new product in B2B and combined many responsibilities. Over time, the team and I were developing. I started working with important clients and partners and became a Business Development Manager. In 2015, the team consisted of 15-20 people. Furthermore, our company continued to grow.
I was Fluix's Head of Product until 2021. This position was fascinating and caused tremendous professional and personal growth. Readdle is a company of unlimited possibilities. The company always supports the initiative, regardless of the job position. There is always an opportunity to go further, grow professionally, and do better. So in 2021, the Readdle’s company management believed in me again and entrusted me with the scaling of one of the largest products in the company (the only one in the B2B sphere). I got the position of Fluix Executive Director. I am sure that a lot of new, difficult, but fascinating things will wait for me in the future.

«Я приєдналася до Readdle у 2012 році. Починала в ролі Account Manager / Customer Support / Sales Manager. Я зараз не помилилася і не забула свою початкову позицію в компанії, просто в 2012 році ми дійсно робили все, що потрібно було для розвитку нового продукту в B2B, і поєднували багато обов'язків. З часом команда росла, і я разом із нею. Стала працювати з великими клієнтами і партнерами, змінивши роль на Business Development Manager. У 2015 році команда вже налічувала 15-20 чоловік, і ми продовжували рости.

З того часу і до 2021 року я була Fluix Head of Product. Для мене та подорож виявилась надзвичайно цікавою та спричинила колосальний професійний та особистісний ріст. Readdle — це компанія необмежених можливостей. У нас завжди підтримують ініціативу, незалежно від позиції, на якій ти працюєш, і завжди є можливість йти далі, стрибати вище і робити краще. Ось і в 2021 в мене знову повірили і довірили масштабування одного з найбільших продуктів в компанії (та єдиного в B2B сфері) в ролі Fluix Executive Director. Попереду, я впевнена, ще багато всього нового, важкого, але однаково цікавого».

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Юлія Ніколаєнко,
Executive Director, Fluix

The company also has a mentoring program with annual workshops. However, these programs began to take place online in 2020. Mentors help develop employees, conduct onboarding, and participate in the internship program. The internship in Readdle has been held every summer since 2017. Students and young professionals undergo an internship in one of the selected areas within two months. The internship allows you to try yourself in the profession and work on real tasks within the framework of products.

In the summer of 2022, the internship took place for Readdle's B2B product — Fluix.

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Andrii Obitotskyi,
QA automation, Fluix
I had the opportunity to automate the fluix.io website. The entire project was developed from scratch. It was fascinating because I had the opportunity to search for my solutions and compare them with other solutions implemented in the main project. It was an irreplaceable practical experience. Nowadays, I can confidently say that I know how to work with a real project!

Product thinking and shared values are essential for the candidate selection process

Recruitment in Readdle is taken very seriously. The professional skills and personal qualities that are part of the unique DNA of the company are essential. The Readdlers are united by product thinking and the desire to create a truly valuable product for their users. The desire to help people is essential not only for the support service, which communicates directly with the customer but also for engineers, designers, QA-team, and marketers...

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While working in Readdle, it's important to ask yourself, ‘How does my work help people? Will it simplify their life or, on the contrary, complicate it?’ At the candidate selection stage, HR managers try to understand if a candidate is ready to share the values of Readdle and the desire to work, develop, and provide assistance to users.

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Igor Zhadanov,
CEO and co-founder of Readdle
The key to success for someone joining Readdle can be a product mindset. The person must want and be able to contribute to the creation of cool products. He/she must be interested in the results of his/her work and see value in it.

Readdle has company values written down. They are related to product approaches and the attitude toward users and team members.

  • We put our customers first.
  • Our superpower is our team.
  • We strive for creativity and innovative solutions.
  • We create valuable products for real people.
  • We are professionals in our field.

Interview and introduction to the team

Readdle's position is to build a team of versatile people. Age, gender, and number of years of experience do not play a decisive role. Experience is important only in terms of results. They also pay attention to the general motivation to join the company and the interests of the person apart from the main activity.

The employee selection process and steps may vary depending on the product the candidate will be working on and the specific job vacancy. But usually the employee selection process includes the following:

  1. An interview with the recruiter where he/she talks about the company culture, the vacancy, and basic questions about the candidate's experience and expectations/preferences.
  2. Acquaintance with the future manager (if the process involves a further test task). At this stage, the candidate has an interview with the future manager and a potential colleague from the team. The candidate also receives introductions to the test task.
  3. Technical interview (in case the candidate applies for a technical vacancy). Readdle tests the specialist's hard skills at this stage.
  4. Whiteboard test. A simulation of a standard working day takes place at this stage. In pre-quarantine and pre-war times, this stage took place in the office. The candidate was invited for the whole day, introduced to almost the entire team, and given various tasks. He/she had a whiteboard where he/she could experiment, draw, and analyze real cases to understand work better. Nowadays, this stage has been provided online. The candidate has the opportunity to get to know the team and understand how well the tasks and atmosphere resonate with him/her. For example, a candidate applying for a help desk position will see real user emails and try to make a response to the team. It is a good opportunity for the company and the candidate to make an informed decision.
  5. Job offer. If the candidate is suitable, the company sends him an offer with a description of duties and conditions, to formalize the process and move on to document circulation and further formalities.
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Yelyzaveta Grenda,
Employer Brand Manager
When I had an interview in Readdle, I was asked, ‘What can we do for you, and what can you do for us?’. There should be a clear win-win. The company does not only hire a specialist to fill its needs, but the candidate also has his/her career trajectory, values, a vision of future development, and an understanding of how well he/she fits in with this particular team. There should be a maximum match, and then the best result for both sides will be obtained.
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The onboarding process for new employees lasts three months and is divided into two parts: immersion in your role and tasks, and understanding of all company processes, company culture, and people with whom you will need to interact.

A mentor and two Talent Team Specialists help the employee. The Talent Manager is someone who helps to adapt to the new role and explains the details of the tasks. A People Operation Specialist helps to understand the processes and internal organization of the company.

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Yelyzaveta Grenda,
Employer Brand Manager
I have been working in Readdle for two years. I feel that this place is special to me. People around me are interesting and proficient at what they do. It is simply a pleasure to communicate, work, grow, and develop together. We have the same values, attitudes toward each other, and views on team development. I appreciate that people are also important for CEOs, not just their results. I am very impressed by the culture in which employees are valued as individuals, their points of view, and everyone's contribution. The company will achieve amazing results only with such cool people.

A real Readdler is a professional who always has ideas on how to improve the process and product. Readdlers will take responsibility to express this idea, argue, and do everything to implement it with the help of the team. The company will support it and help with all resources.

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