Women Running Business

Making Difference in Everyday Life

Thanks for the overwhelming response to the first newsletter. I am told that it took some of you back to your classroom. I am sorry, if it brought back not-so-pleasant memories. But do let me know if those memories made you smile !

The idea of this newsletter is to create a sort of opening statement for starting a discussion and offer some initial pointers. I would like you to engage with the post by commenting and offering your perspective. You may also point to some other resources that you found useful.
International Women’s Day is around the corner and I thought of talking about tremendous contributions women make in business and life as well as point out some of the obstacles that they still face in their work and social life.
Happy Reading and Happy Women’s Day.

See you on the other side.

DTW

During the Week, one Tweet from Indian PM Modi’s Twitter account caused a minor social media earthquake.

Narendra Modi @narendramodi

This Sunday, thinking of giving up my social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube. Will keep you all posted.

And then the mystery was solved through another Tweet.

Narendra Modi @narendramodi

This Women's Day, I will give away my social media accounts to women whose life & work inspire us. This will help them ignite motivation in millions. Are you such a woman or do you know such inspiring women? Share such stories using #SheInspiresUs.

And the Indians responded with great enthusiasm. Nominations have poured in and they range from social workers, movie stars, sportswomen and many a times ordinary looking but truly exceptional women in our family and neighbourhood. Very inspirational for all of us and definitely motivating for nominated women. But if you follow the thread more seriously, you would find what women find on regular basis. Trolls !
The extent of harassment for regular users of social medium platform is unbelievable. Platforms are still trying to figure out ways to control harassment of any kind but perceptual anonymity and extraordinary reach of social media is not helping.
Let us run a thought experiment here- What if these platforms themselves were run by women and not just for a day ? Would it make a difference to how they are growing or their vision of themselves and larger society ? What if we could create platforms where the women’s interests come first?

That could be done two ways- one, Women Specific Tech Platforms; two, Women run Tech Platforms.

Women specific Tech Platforms could be of two variations - one, creating platforms to solve women only issues ; and two, solve an issue from women’s perspective.
Something like Sheroes which brings women together for offering support, resources, opportunities and interactions or even like Ellevest platform which realized the investing industry has been “by men, for men” — and has historically kept women from achieving their financial goals and thus there was a need for offering a service - Invest like a woman.
We could also look at platforms where market failures are being handled through a very gendered approach. Bumble which started out as a dating app for women has gradually moved on to looking for friends, or even growing professional network. The premise has been to give more power to women to determine the interactions in digital social space.
Women led platforms face their own dilemmas. As per the latest TechCrunch report, there were 21 new female-founded unicorns in 2019 in the world, up from 15 in 2018 which include Away, Glossier, Guild Education, Rent the Runway and The RealReal. We do have few women leaders in platform businesses but the statistics point to a grim picture. For every Sheryl Sandberg - COO, Facebook; Ruth Porat - CFO, Google; Susan Wojcicki - CEO of Youtube , there are multiple cases of exploitation and harassment. Have these women tech leaders made platforms any safer for women ? I guess the jury is still out on that.

Ironically, Elizabeth Warren -US Presidential Candidate 2020 - who made “Breaking up the Big Tech” her primary poll plank has just quit the race. Now, Mark Zuckerberg does not have to go to mat and fight it out !

Numerous platforms offer support and network for women tech leaders but it is definitely not sufficient. It might be incumbent upon women leaders like Shradha Sharma, Founder & Chief Editor of YourStory to create more space for budding platform women leaders. We have tried to provide ecosystem support for platforms but the results are not convincing in India! The situation across the world is also not so rosy for the female founders.
Growing platformization of businesses has also created opportunities for lot of women entrepreneurs to run their businesses from their homes or smaller establishments and yet have access to the literally the world. Meesho has created a world of opportunities for home based entrepreneurs and leveraged the power of WhatsApp for students, homemakers and business owners members of the four-year-old venture of whom ninety percent are women. Our own neighbourhood community app Trice has empowered home based chefs to become entrepreneurs and thus empowered them. It is heartening to see women drawn into formal financial world when they open their first sole beneficiary bank account and take first steps towards financial independence.

OTW
Over the weekend, five women runners from Hyderabad would be running Spirit of Pinkathon Run from Bidar to Hyderabad. They are from amongst us- Homemakers, IT Managers, Scientist , Software Engineers and are setting out to convey the message that nothing is impossible in life and business if you put your heart to it. It is incredible run of 120 KM over two days to empower urban and rural women to take control of their health and lives. That’s the power of Women , Running and Business !

I would be joining them on Sunday as an Ambassador of Pinkathon - India’s Biggest Women’s Run and be a witness to the change it has brought in women around us.

To wind it up, one personal message from a friend sent me back to one of my all time favourite book- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It has had lasting impression on me. This book has taught me to be thankful everyday for things that we might take for granted. One of my favourite quote from the book is “Giving Makes Me Feel Like I’m Living.” 
Do let me know your reflections on this newsletter or the book or whatever catches your fancy and do not hesitate to reach out or call.
I Love You !