Readwise aims to create a superior digital reading experience and motivate people to switch from traditional paper books to digital reading.
Readwise recognized an opportunity to innovate in the read-later app space and entered the market with their product, Reader, focusing on offering a better reading experience.
Reader differentiates itself by prioritizing the interest of the reader and focusing on enhancing the reading experience for the consumer.
Deep dives
Improving the Reading Experience
Readwise aims to create a superior digital reading experience using software. They strive to motivate people to switch from traditional paper books to digital reading by offering a better reading experience. They have developed apps like Muse and Reader to facilitate deep work and improve reading retention. The team behind Readwise is focused on innovative ideas to enhance reading technology and help people read better.
The Journey of Readwise
Readwise was founded by Dan Duan and Tristan Holmes. Dan took a non-traditional path, starting with a web development agency in the late 90s and early 2000s before transitioning to Wall Street. During a sabbatical, he came up with the idea of using Anki flashcards to retain more from his Kindle highlights, which inspired him to explore reading technology further. Tristan, on the other hand, had a more traditional background in computer science and had already delved into reading technology with his side project of building a reading prioritization tool. Their common interests brought them together to start Readwise in 2017.
The Category of Read Later Apps
Read Later Apps like Instapaper and Pocket were the pioneers in the category. They emerged as a result of the internet and smartphones, providing a platform for saving web content to read later. While these apps initially gained enthusiasm, they eventually reached a point of stagnation and went into maintenance mode. Readwise recognized an opportunity to innovate in this space and entered the market with their product, Reader. They aimed to offer a better reading experience, fill the void left by the existing apps, and continue building on their foundation of improving the practice of reading.
Reader vs. Substack: Different Approaches to the Reading Experience
Reader and Substack are two popular apps for in-depth reading, but they have distinct approaches. Reader prioritizes the interest of the reader, focusing on providing a seamless reading experience. Substack, on the other hand, is a closed network that integrates publishing, content, and link discovery. While Reader supports various media types and allows saving any link, Substack emphasizes subscriptions, payments, and promotions within its platform. Both apps have their advantages and serve different types of readers.
The Unique Value of Reader: Putting the Reader First
Reader differentiates itself from other reading apps by placing the interest of the reader first. While many reading apps cater to content creators, Reader is focused on enhancing the reading experience for the consumer. By prioritizing reader-centric features and considering how readers want to spend their time reading, Reader aims to provide a superior reading app. This focus on the reader's needs and preferences sets Reader apart and allows for a deeper understanding of the reading process to continually improve the app.
How can software improve the practice of reading? Tristan and Dan are the founders of Readwise. They join Adam to talk about the history of read-later apps like Pocket and Instapaper; the difference between reading for betterment and reading for entertainment; and the cat-and-mouse game of web parsing. Plus: how the personal knowledge management explosion in 2020 affected digital reading.
