A tool for outstanding websites: Readymag’s CEO on the journey from start-up to sustainable business

After its launch in 2013, Readymag’s tool for designing websites was named the ‘Product of the Day’ at Product Hunt, made a successful pivot, switched to a sustainable business model, and became a universal playground where the most incredible ideas are born and realised. Having reached its 10th birthday, Readymag’s Co-founder & CEO Diana Kasay has stopped by to share the unique journey of the company and product with us. Before we begin, let’s introduce Readymag. Readymag is a browser-based design tool that helps create all kinds of online publications without coding. It preaches total creative freedom and offers advanced animations, 5,000+ free fonts with an option to tweak them and add custom ones, and features for smooth teamwork and client delivery. In its initial form, Readymag was contrived by Ukrainian designer Anton Herasymenko. “The proto-idea sparked around 2009: back then, together with a friend we were working on relaunching an existing digital magazine. We both shared a deep love for visual culture and editorial design, and I believe he was the one who introduced me to all these iconic magazines like Dazed & Confused, Man About Town and 032с. Working together, we were speculating a lot about the death of print and how the design process and distribution will change with the arrival of the iPad. The magazine relaunch unfortunately never happened and we both decided to focus on other projects, but I was left with this unsatisfied desire and curiosity to explore and fantasise about the future of independent digital publishing and the new tools that would serve this future,” Herasymenko recalls.