Bryntum, a developer of world-class web components and a longtime member (7+ years) of Epicenter, has achieved extraordinary growth over the last decade. Established by Mats Bryntse in 2009, Bryntum currently provides its products & services to thousands of companies in 80 countries, including Apple, Netflix, Intel, BMW, and the US Navy.

Question is, how did they get there? We sat down with Mats here at Epicenter Stockholm to find out.

A Peak into Their Path to Success

When a company experiences exponential growth, it’s only natural to inquire about the underlying factors contributing to this remarkable expansion. What are the key components that have paved the path to success, and what sets Bryntum’s journey apart from the rest?

Mats, shedding light on Bryntum’s ascent, emphasizes the company’s commitment to delivering top-tier, customizable, and user-friendly solutions.

With the widespread demand for scheduling components, Bryntum has been able to extend its solutions to companies across the globe, effectively positioning the entire world as its potential market. This global perspective is not only exciting but also teeming with untapped possibilities. Mats elaborates;

“Our consistent commitment to product quality has always been non-negotiable, and this dedication has enabled us to attract some of the world’s foremost talents in crafting these solutions. Our success can be largely attributed to the exceptional team we’ve been fortunate to bring together.”

Not Falling Behind in the Ever Changing Landscape 

Understanding a growth journey requires a deep dive into specific strategies. Bryntum’s primary sales strategy has been to showcase the features and flexibility of its products through its website. With over 150 different live demos, their potential customers can easily evaluate products and self-educate without the need for any sales rep and without filling in any signup forms.

Bryntum has also put efforts in digital ads to find new customers which has worked really well, specifically using Google Ads since Google is where developers search when they are on the hunt for a new tool. 

In relation to their key successful strategic, Mats shares their main challenge that constantly keep them on their toes;

“The biggest challenge in the web development tool space is that trends come and go very fast. Trying to keep up with the ever-evolving web standards, as well as all the JS frameworks (React, Angular, Vue, etc.) and tooling requires lots of work. If we don’t support integration with the currently trending web platforms/technologies we risk falling behind.”

Preserving Core Values – Across the Globe

Bryntum’s culture has undergone a remarkable transformation from its early startup days to its current state. In its initial year, the company embodied the classic startup ethos, characterized by relentless coding efforts.

Over time, the culture has matured, placing greater emphasis on quality and expertise while still preserving the startup mindset that continues to drive innovation and growth.

The Bryntum team now consists of 20+ employees across the globe, which leads us to exploring how Bryntum has preserved its core values and culture while expanding;

“We have been remote-only since day one, and building a company culture is very hard with this setup. To preserve our core values and culture during rapid growth with a global team, we place a strong emphasis on transparent and frequent communication, regular team gatherings, and the celebration of significant milestones. Additionally, every year, we arrange a week-long hackathon trip where all team members meet in person to innovate, foster camaraderie, and have fun together. We just came back from a week in Montenegro and had team members fly in from Slovakia, Brazil, France, Sweden, Georgia, Spain, and Switzerland.”

Attracting Top Talent & Finding Passion 

How to build a strong team that stick together throughout ups and downs? This is where the passion comes in;

“Developers apply to Bryntum not just for the opportunities we offer, but also for the chance to collaborate with like-minded professionals who share their passion for JavaScript, UX, innovation, and excellence in software development. As for retaining developers, our motto is the Swedish “frihet under ansvar”, or “freedom with responsibility”. This concept emphasizes that our employees enjoy the freedom to work whenever & wherever, as long as they maintain a high level of professionalism. When recruiting, we seek developers whose values align with the company’s culture, and who are passionate, adaptable, and enthusiastic about contributing to our mission”, Mats explains. 

He adds on his best practices in terms of team and culture, such as formation of mini-teams.

“To maintain your company’s culture and team cohesion during periods of growth, it’s essential to uphold your core values consistently. Also, hiring more than one person in the same location helps to form mini-teams. Having a colleague nearby to brainstorm with is awesome.”

Down the memory lane

If we take a step back and look at the Bryntum journey – what has been their most memorable achievement?

“Over 14 years, there have been quite a few. Landing Apple as a customer and spending two weeks at their Cupertino HQ was a fantastic learning experience. Earlier this year we welcomed UEFA to our customer base, who will use our products to plan UEFA Euro 2024. We also onboarded Singapore Airlines who will use our UI components for flight scheduling.”

Mats adds on how Epicenter has played a pivotal role in fostering new connections and business opportunities;

“Epicenter has been a great part of our journey, enabling an innovative environment that fosters growth and creativity. We have held meetings with many of our customers at Epicenter and one of our oldest (and coolest) customers – Ftrack is also a longtime Epicenter member.”

On the Horizon

In considering Bryntum’s future growth prospects, it is imperative to understand the strategic initiatives that the company is currently pursuing, such as forming strategic partnerships, extending into new ecosystems like the low-code market, and intensifying marketing efforts. The company also actively participates in developer conferences to bolster its brand awareness.

On the horizon, Bryntum plans to host its own JavaScript (JS) conference in the next 12-24 months, potentially at Epicenter, promising an exciting platform for innovation and knowledge exchange.

Choosing Epicenter – 7 years ago

As we’re reaching the end of this Growth Story, we have to ask; why did Bryntum choose Epicenter?

“Working in a fully remote business gets lonely and Epicenter has really made it feel like I’m part of a bigger tribe of like-minded entrepreneurs. We have also organized some really nice JS meetups here and lots of customer meetings.”

On a lighter note, when we’re talking about being an Epicenter member, Mats fondly recalls the EPIC PADEL OPEN 2023 as one of his favourite memories from these 7 years. This year’s tournament did not only foster connections within the Epicenter community; you can also view it as an event that mirrored the accelerated success of a company on the fast track.

As Bryntum won the tournament, it perfectly mirrored the company’s great growth.

Thank you for sharing your growth story Mats!

Explore Bryntum here: https://www.bryntum.com

Get in touch: https://bryntum.com/contact/