rready around the world: Namibia

You might have guessed it, and if you didn’t – there’s a chance you will have to google this one. The country I am referring to is Namibia – better known as the ‘land of contrasts', located along the western coast of southern Africa and, my country of birth. Here, what awaits are mesmerizing desert landscapes to the South, riverine and tropical-like paradises to the north as well as some of the most breath-taking sunsets you will ever see, and lots and lots of space...

Right here, in and amongst the wonders of this part of the planet, is where I work from for rready, a hyper-growth SaaS startup based in Zurich, Switzerland. How did I end up being a one-woman team, nearly halfway across the world? This is certainly a question I have been asked at more than one dinner party in the past few months...

The answer, however, as surprising as this is to many, is quite simple: In a country of only 2.5 million people and limited opportunities, and with the term, remote work recently having become the new norm, I found myself looking for a new and exciting challenge – different to what I had come to know. After stumbling upon a job opening by rready, it didn’t take me very long to submit my application. The opportunity to work in a growing start-up, with young and dynamic minds who are all intrapreneurs at heart and from whom I had the possibility of learning so much, seemed more than fitting.

What followed were three successful interview rounds and in no time, I found myself ‘walking’ into my first day at rready. After two weeks of virtual onboarding, accompanied by the warmest introductions and welcomes from all my colleagues, it felt to me as if I had been part of the team from the very start.  

While I may be the first to join Team rready all the way from Africa, we are already dispersed widely across the globe. From Brazil to Serbia, Macedonia, Indonesia, the Netherlands, the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Greece, and Hungary; the team encompasses a total of 16 different nationalities and about 35 people. Needless to say, cultural diversity and the concept of investing in the best talent no matter where they are located, has been a company focus from the start. While it may not always be easy to coordinate across more than three different time zones and ensure that everyone keeps the ball rolling, I realized early on that this is where the term ‘Swiss efficiency’ comes into play.

So much so, that even when it comes to team building, the team has truly become an expert at facilitating this virtually. Whether this is by organizing weekly coffee calls and check-ins, dialing someone in, to a social event, or facilitating virtual dinner parties as a year-end function – ‘We’ll make it work’ isn’t merely just a saying around here. Wherever the opportunity arises, cross-country visits are also arranged, with the ultimate calendar highlight being the annual rready camp, which marks a sociable get-together of the entire global team.

By now you may be wondering about the downsides of working for an international company remotely, and the challenges this may entail. From my experience, I can quite honestly say that the benefits outweigh the costs. One thing which I however had to learn, is finding a work-life balance while having my workspace at home. Setting clear boundaries has been helpful – although, I must admit, this is difficult when you really love what you do! Nonetheless, I’m getting there!

Whether working from home is the right setup for you, also depends largely on your personality, motivation, and discipline. After all, you are responsible for getting the work done and showing up! Within a start-up like rready however, it’s almost impossible to lack the motivation to get up in the morning, and right from the start an exciting journey filled with surprises awaits!

Want to know a secret? Keep a close eye on our job roles that may suit you or feel free to send us your application regardless! Who knows, perhaps you’ll be next to join us, wherever you find yourself on this planet!