PDF Reader: Edit Adobe PDF - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

Yes, prior to joining Kdan, I worked at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan. My responsibilities included Internet of Things (IoT) projects that focused on home networking.

As a software developer, I designed the programs and systems that transmit information over the network. With my experience in IRTI, I was able to seamlessly transition into mobile app development.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

There are internal and external aspects that are challenging.

As a PDF editing software provider for mobile devices, our internal goal is to help our users increase productivity by delivering an intuitive and consistent experience across different mobile devices and operating systems. Our top priority is to build a robust and stable PDF reading engine that can perfectly provide editing capabilities and display annotation objects made by users on different devices, systems, and other PDF applications.

On the external side of software development, PDF Reader is currently available on Apple (iOS and Mac), Google Play, and Windows Store. All of these platforms have their own terms and conditions. Whenever the app stores change their policies and algorithms, we have to react promptly. According to a market survey (Reference), there are 1.96 million apps available on the Apple App Store and 2.87 million apps on Google Play Store.

The mobile app market is very competitive with a variety of choices for users, so we are also facing the challenge of maintaining the momentum we gained in the market. Nevertheless, we remain confident that providing high-quality products and exceptional customer service will make us stand out from the crowd.

_{Kdan Mobile Software Ltd.}

Kdan Mobile was founded in 2009 with a mission to empower modern professionals to better leverage their productivity and unleash their creativity. Kdan Mobile is a global SaaS provider, whose work is supported by over 200 million downloads, and over 10 million members worldwide. Their solutions include an e-signature service, and a portfolio of different productivity and creativity-related tools.

The interviewee is Erwin Lin, general manager of Kdan Mobile and product manager of PDF Reader. As a leader of the PDF Reader team, we strive to make your life easier by offering fast, reliable document solutions.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

One of my favorite apps is Bear, a note-taking app that allows me to easily sync notes between my iPad and Mac. As a product manager, I discuss various topics with team members from different departments, ranging from product roadmaps, tech specs, sales, and even go-to-market strategies.

The Markdown feature makes it much easier to take notes during meetings. Additionally, I use the mind mapping app, Xmind, to reorganize my ideas and inspiration after meetings and discussions. Using these two apps has helped me come up with concrete ideas for the product development process.

How long have you been working on this app?

I have been the product manager for PDF Reader since I joined Kdan Mobile in 2009. PDF Reader was only available on iPhones when the app was first launched, and there were fewer than 1,000 apps on the App Store at the time.

When Apple released the first generation of iPad, we began developing the iPad version that would be compatible with the device. Then we replicated our approach on Android, macOS, and Windows systems with the Document 365 product line, which features a series of PDF Reader apps available on different operating systems. My involvement with PDF Reader has been more than a decade.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

Our goal at Kdan is to help modern professionals unleash their creativity and leverage their productivity. We strive to provide users with a document solution which is tailored to their mobile working environment, whether it is at home, in the office, or in a hybrid working environment.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

Whether you're on your phone, tablet, or computer, Kdan's PDF Reader lets you create, read, edit, secure, and convert PDFs. We set ourselves apart from other desktop and online PDF editors by offering a well-designed user experience and interface that allows users to easily handle a variety of editing tasks regardless of device size.

In contrast to traditional PDF software aimed at desktop scenarios, Kdan's PDF Reader is a mobile-first PDF editor. We adopt consistent UI and UX design patterns for desktop software, making editing PDFs on desktops as easy as on mobile devices. We offer a PDF solution that transfers mobile app experiences and interfaces to desktop programs.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

PDF Reader is available for all major platforms, including iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. Regardless of your device, you can always find a version of PDF Reader that meets your needs. However, there remain some limitations for those who don't regularly update their devices or who don't purchase the latest models. Based on our data analysis and user interviews, we found that there is a strong need to save time while collaborating and managing documents.

In light of this, we're currently building a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform based on our PDF technology, which will allow users to seamlessly collaborate and edit PDFs on any device without installing any software.

Additionally, we offer development kits that allow enterprises to build their own software. We want to make PDF Reader more accessible so that our users can take full advantage of their productivity.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

We value users’ opinions and feedback. Please leave us a review on the App Store if you enjoy PDF Reader. We recommend that you visit our product page to learn more about how PDF Reader can benefit you as a new user.