From Vektor to Meander: Why We Renamed

Meander
4 min readApr 12, 2023

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The only way we can start this post is by saying thank you.

We launched Vektor at Slush conference in November last year, but the OGs out there know we’ve been building a mentorship solution for longer than that.

Talking to our customers is the secret sauce behind every feature and heated internal debate we have. Mentorship is personal, it’s powerful, and we are passionate about building the best solution in this space.

It’s those conversations that made us think about the world of work and where it’s headed.

In the months we’ve spent reflecting on that, we realised the brand of Vektor didn’t quite capture that bold new world.

Queue drum roll 🥁

The hint was in the article title — we’ve got some news…

We’ve rebranded.

We are Meander.

It’s very nice to finally meet you 😀

Why We Changed

CAREERS AREN’T LINEAR ANYMORE.

Taking a job out of college doesn’t usher in the long plod to 40+ years in the same industry anymore, steadily climbing rungs or ticking boxes until retirement looms like a relieving beacon.

You go for the job that reflects your interests. When your interests change, so too can your job.

That’s an unprecedented gift.

The word ‘career’ used to mean a linear progression through one industry in one defining function — sales, design, operations. Today it’s so much more individualised. Your “career” is a coloured patchwork composed of a lifetime of evolving interests that will lead you across any number of functions and industries.

There are so many mentors, mentees, and Vektor employees whose journeys reflect this work shift.

Our CEO, Anna Buldakova, started her professional career as a journalist. Her passions shifted and she spent many years working as a product manager, and her trajectory changed once again after gaining an interest in entrepreneurship.

It’s kind of wild to think the job you got at 22 would fulfil you after, say, five years of experience, or parenthood, or gaining new hobbies.

We all want to be fulfilled in our working lives, and changing roles is a way to discover that realignment.

The world of work is changing in three key ways:

Flexibility

Ninety minute commutes to an office whose most potent appeal is “free fruit” is no longer a reality for millions of people. You can be hybrid, remote, part-time, freelance, or have found a holy grail company trialling the 4-day work week.

Meander aspires to connect you to mentors and resources who can chart a path to the work-life balance you seek.

Autonomy

A career is not defined by an employer. When people are unhappy with their side of the bargain, they switch jobs. With the range of employment types and professions open to us, life’s too short to be content with a bottleneck boss who stumps your future prospects through malice or simple incompetence.

Meander aspires to unlock your most ambitious professional plans by helping you explore your options and talking you through your applications, interviews, and take-home tasks.

Discovery

Knowledge is everywhere. We’re all lifelong learners. We’re bound to have eureka moments when the game changes and we realise there’s something completely new we need to be doing.

Meander aspires to bring those eureka moments to your door and celebrate the new purpose you find.

Come Meander with Us

There you have it. Meander.

In a way, we as a company have gone through one of these career shifts ourselves. The knowledge we gained helped us see that Vektor didn’t quite reflect the world we’ve begun to see.

So, Vektor, thank you for your service. We bring a ton of experiences, insights, and memories to the next stage.

We want to bring you, too.

Come Meander with us.

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Meander

Meander is a mentorship platform that helps you make better career choices and grow in the career you are passionate about.