Founders Giovanni Donelli
& Matt Ronge
how we
got started
Beginnings can be hard to pinpoint. We founded Astropad in 2013. We met at Apple in 2007 as software engineers. But our true beginning may have been in the 1990s when, though continents apart, we each sat wide-eyed before an original Macintosh, awestruck by the creative potential that Steve Jobs’ “bicycle for your mind” could unlock.
Through these experiences, we found something we believed in: technology’s ability to help people make things. So it didn’t sit right with us when, in the early 21st century, we saw powerful mobile devices being used primarily for time-wasting applications. In response to that app-based junk food, we developed Astropad Studio and Luna Display — technology designed for the creative community.
At Astropad, we believe that, just as bicycles help people travel faster and more efficiently, so too can products help people imagine new things. Those are the kinds of products that inspire us, and those are the kinds of products we’ll continue to build.
work with us
Our team includes interdisciplinary contributors from a variety of cities and backgrounds. Still, we all see something of ourselves in each other. An Astropad team member is kind, honest, a little contrarian, and obsessed with quality.
Remote-first
Since our start, we’ve always been set up as a remote-first company. With teammates across North America, we’ve struck a balance between video calls and asynchronous communication. We encourage team members to unplug from Slack to sink into deep work.
We’ll set you up with the tools and tech you need for your home workspace, along with a coworking stipend for when you want to get out of the house. Twice a year, we all get together for a week-long company retreat.
Wellbeing and rest
We offer health, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family. Take the time you need with unlimited sick days and mental health days. All new parents get paid parental leave.
We see deep value in stepping away from work. You’re never expected to work more than 40 hours per week. We have a tiered paid time off structure with up to five weeks of vacation time, plus a one-month paid sabbatical after five years. Every teammate has access to two days off annually to volunteer. We also do a one-week company-wide shutdown over the holiday season.
Competitive pay
We have a competitive, non-location based salary structure — so your pay isn’t dependent on what city you’re in. Every teammate has the opportunity to share in the company’s success with stock option grants and bonuses.
open positions
Software Engineering Manager
Remote
We are looking for an Engineering Manager to lead the mighty team of engineers that are behind Luna Display and Astropad Studio for iOS, Mac, and Windows.
Arts/Designer Expert Writer
We’re looking for an experienced digital artist or creative with a great standing in the online digital arts community who also loves to help other artists and wants to write for that purpose.
Jacob
Shaffer
Senior Firmware Engineer
the astropad
manifesto
At Astropad, we value creativity. We build products that encourage it, and we seek out team members who do too. Because creativity is like wildfire. When we work in an inspired way, we create products that rouse others to do the same.
1. go against the grain
Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Instead, swim upstream and question what’s out there — because we value the unexpected, and the unexpected is often born of dissent.
2. cross the canyons first
Don’t save the biggest challenges for last; attack the biggest challenges first. Build the bridge over the canyon before the simple road leading up to it. What do you gain by building what you already know you can?
3. experiment confidently
Acquire information through experimentation. Have a lot of ideas, the courage to try the best ones out, and the confidence to move on if they don’t work.
4. listen to customers
We don’t take outside investment. We are funded by our customers. We grow by supporting and listening to them, by identifying the “extra mile” that will enhance their experience — and then by delivering it.
5. under promise, then over deliver
Exaggerated claims and products seem to go hand in hand. But the truth always rises to the top, and the products that speak for themselves when in the hands of users will always win out.
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