OrgPad
About the Company
OrgPad is a universal digital whiteboard designed for various users including students, managers, and anyone facing complex challenges. The tool allows users to create dynamic "crime boards" that help visually organize information, making it easier to understand and navigate complex topics. With over 17,000 users, OrgPad has become a valuable asset in education and professional decision-making. The company's core values center around ease of use, universality, and community connection, aiming to create a tool intuitive enough for anyone to use while being robust enough to solve intricate problems.
OrgPad is also unique in that it grew without external funding or advertising, relying instead on word-of-mouth and a strong user base. The founders have focused on building a passionate community, which has helped the business grow organically, leading to consistent revenue increases. Their approach highlights the importance of creating a product that people love and naturally promote to others.
Idea Behind Company
The idea for OrgPad originated from the work of Zdeněk Hedrlín, a Czech mathematician and philosopher, who sought to find better ways to store and transfer knowledge while preserving its structure. His work laid the theoretical foundation for OrgPad. Years later, his student, Pavel Klavík, who was working at Google at the time, promised to turn Hedrlín’s ideas into a practical tool. Pavel partnered with his former student, Vít Kalisz, to create OrgPad.
The theoretical roots of OrgPad focus on using visual structures to capture and transmit complex ideas more effectively. Vít, who had been captivated by Hedrlín’s work, joined Pavel in Zurich, and together, they set out to create OrgPad. The goal was to make an intuitive and powerful tool that could be used by anyone, fulfilling the theoretical vision laid out decades earlier.
Creating the Company
The initial development of OrgPad started during Christmas 2018, with the team focusing on basic features like creating and moving cells. As the project progressed, they implemented automatic systems to improve usability, such as auto-resizing cells. The design of OrgPad also evolved, with the introduction of a grey canvas and color-coded cells, making the interface cleaner and more user-friendly.
The company remained self-financed, with the founders living frugally to keep costs low. Vít even moved to the Czech countryside with Pavel and his wife Kamila, living in a modest home to reduce expenses. Despite these challenges, the team’s passion for OrgPad kept them motivated, and they continued refining the product and its features, including adding permissions and making the tool more accessible to a broader audience.
Launching the Business
OrgPad's launch began with a small team working tirelessly on the product while juggling other commitments. Pavel was still employed at Google, and Vít was completing his studies. By mid-2019, both had fully committed to OrgPad, with Pavel leaving Google and Vít dropping out of school. This marked a turning point as they began working full-time on the business.
In early 2020, they gained traction after a meeting with progressive Czech primary school principals, just as the COVID-19 pandemic started affecting Europe. The tool gained popularity during the lockdowns, and in the summer of 2021, they introduced pricing for OrgPad. The company grew steadily as more schools and users adopted the tool, allowing the team to focus on expanding internationally, with eyes on markets in Germany, Denmark, and the US.
Earnings
OrgPad started with modest earnings, growing from around $1,000 a month to over $5,000 by May 2022, marking the company's first profitable month. The business remains self-funded, with its success largely attributed to the strong community and organic growth strategy. As OrgPad continues to scale, the team is focusing on consolidating their position in the Czech education sector while expanding to other markets.
The founders attribute their success to their focus on community and product quality, with plans to further enhance the tool by improving mobile support and performance in the coming months. Despite being a small company, OrgPad's growth and profitability demonstrate the power of bootstrapping and community-driven business models.
