I have personally been a Paperlike customer since 2018. I bought my first iPad Pro in 2018 and my first accessory, besides the Apple Pencil, was a Paperlike screen protector. As someone who takes a lot of handwritten notes, I knew the best and only option was a Paperlike screen protector. Five years later, I still stand by their product, and I have never used my iPad without it. I had the pleasure of interviewing the CEO of Paperlike, Jan Sapper. He shed some light on how the company grew from just a side hobby to a product that is now synonymous with the iPad.
This conversation was broader than just pitching Paperlike to our readers; I got the opportunity to learn about Jan’s journey from failed businesses all the way to where he currently is, which is running an immensely successful company of 20 employees.
Q: Could you tell us about your professional journey before Paperlike and any other companies you were involved with?
A:
Sapper kicked off his journey in 2011 after university, where he pitched his first product – a docking station for MacBooks. At the time there weren’t many docking stations, if any, that allowed for a single cable solution, so he was already ahead of the game. However, despite hitting the public Kickstarter goal, it did not meet the private goal and eventually proved unsuccessful.
This initial venture was a fountain of knowledge and experience for Sapper, teaching him the ins and outs of starting a company, working with manufacturers and prototypes, how to run a Kickstarter campaign and learning how to market a product that wasn’t out just yet. He then plunged into the cloud-based company, back in Germany, offering remote connectivity solutions. The stint, lasting four years, brought insights into product market fitment. Despite its powerful use cases, the product struggled to find its niche in the market. This, again, taught Jan what product market fit actually meant and how important that concept was and still is.
Q: How did the concept of Paperlike come into being?
A:
Sapper’s endeavor to go paperless led him to his first experience with the iPad Pro and more importantly, the Apple Pencil. Before he got himself an iPad, he was already on his way to being paperless. He would scan handwritten notes into Evernote, allowing him to search through them on his iPhone. When the 2015 iPad Pro was out, he would frequent an Apple store and try demoing the writing experience, and it was slippery and didn’t feel like he was taking handwritten notes. He would ask the employees, “Where are the matte screen protectors to help with the writing experience?” and they never had an answer for him. This is where the idea first sparked. He wanted an iPad accessory that would allow him to feel like he was actually writing on paper, and he could not believe the product was not out yet.
He collaborated with manufacturers, persistently aiming to develop a matte screen protector. The first prototype, while feeling great, compromised the screen quality significantly. Undaunted, he carried the prototype, named Paperlike, to the Apple Store and applied it to the iPad. He put it on the demo iPad and then started to test it out, and from a writing experience stand point it was exactly what he wanted.
He then ordered 100 of these units, made a small promo video, and created a Kickstarter campaign intending to raise $4, but astonishingly, secured $40k instead.
Q: Could you elaborate on the developments and enhancements made to Paperlike?
A:
Paperlike underwent extensive refinements since its prototype in April 2017. Apple launched the all-new iPad Pro back in 2018, and Sapper took the opportunity to go full in on reviewers on YouTube. He thought to himself, that every tech YouTuber will be reviewing the iPad, so why not sponsor almost every single one? This helped in targeting potential buyers effectively. This campaign was a huge success for him and the company. Up until this point, Sapper managed every facet of Paperlike. But now this side hobby officially became an extremely profitable business and the next step was the launch of the more transparent and better-feeling Paperlike 2 in 2019.
The pandemic posed challenges but also presented opportunities to enhance logistics with factories in Europe, the US, and Asia. The introduction of Paperlike 2.1 saw the manufacturing of raw materials shift to Switzerland, striking a balance between transparency and roughness, which were pivotal to the product’s success.
Q: Are there any plans for expanding the product lines?
A:
Yes, there are exciting developments on the horizon, with Paperlike 3.0 in the works to increase visibility even more while keeping that beloved Paperlike feeling. They have also expanded into other product lines with their cleaning kit, the pencil grips, and their all-new folio case. There are also some drawing gloves that are in the works, as well as some other more secretive initiatives that we have to stay tuned for.
Q: How would you describe the essence of Paperlike?
A:
Sapper believes that Paperlike’s uniqueness stems from its specialized focus – addressing nuanced needs that others may overlook. He articulates, “We love to think we are those geeks hyper-focused on one thing that no one will think of, but that’s what makes us Paperlike.” He accentuates the importance of meticulous product execution and concludes that being emulated by the competition is an acknowledgment of success.
Closing thoughts
Jan Sapper’s journey from his early endeavors to the inception of Paperlike reflects his unwavering resolve and innovative spirit. His pioneering work continues to impact Apple Pencil and iPad users profoundly, offering them an unparalleled user experience. With ongoing advancements and new products on the horizon, Paperlike is poised to fortify its position in the market, while its passionate team remains at the forefront of innovations for Apple Pencil and iPad users.
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