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Hello Reader,

The pandemic has not only changed the very foundation of how we work, i.e. 9-5 at the office, but it has also had a very colourful effect on the workplace lexicon. The latest is ‘productivity paranoia’, a term coined by Microsoft in a new workplace study released last week.

Conducted among 20,000 people across 11 countries, the study found that while 87% workers think they are productive, only 12% of leaders are fully confident in their employees’ productivity. This disconnect is what Microsoft labels as ‘productivity paranoia’.

Ironically, the company’s data revealed that there is a sustained increase in overall activity by workers. So, the real question is, as CEO Satya Nadella puts it, “What is the fundamental meaning of work?”

By the way, did you know that the global population of ants is a whopping 20 quadrillion? That’s approximately 2.5 million for every human.

…bugs for thought?

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Content economy in the age of Reels
• The secret to success: Asking ‘why not’
• Inside AWS’ Startup Ramp Program

Here’s your trivia for today: When was the first video uploaded to YouTube?

Social media

Content economy in the age of Reels

From changing algorithms to the pressure of posting new content every day, creators are struggling to keep up with the rising demands of Instagram and YouTube.

“That high of only being an Instagram creator is gone. The engagement was high in the last two years because people were killing time. Now we have gone back to our normal lives. No one has as much time,” says Aashish Maini, Founder of Silly Entertainment and Media Pvt. Ltd., a content production and creator management company.

Facing burnout:

• India has around 80 million creators, according to Kalaari Capital. These include influencers, bloggers, video streamers, creators on streaming platforms, and essentially anyone building a community around their niche.
• While a micro creator, with over 1,000-2,000 followers, makes over Rs 2,000 per post; a mega creator, with over a million followers, could earn in lakhs. 
• The reduction in engagement and saturation has led creators to find new avenues to monetise themselves. 

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Credit: YourStory Design

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Women in Tech

The secret to success: Asking ‘why not’

With over 22 years of experience in information technology, Nidhi Gopal has helped build flagship software products across technology platforms—mobile, SaaS, On-Prem and Data.

In a conversation with HerStory, Nidhi talks about what drew her to STEM, important learnings in her journey, and how we can retain more women in tech.

Speak up:

• At Intuit, Nidhi leads a diverse group of 170 engineers which is a mix of fresh out of college grads to highly experienced engineers.
• She says women need to ask for what they want and leverage one’s strengths to have a more rewarding career.
• Women in technology lack role models in senior leadership roles and mentors, says Nidhi. 

Startup ecosystem

Inside AWS’ Startup Ramp Program

Launched last year, AWS’ Startup Ramp Program helps integrate solutions developed by local startups to technology innovations required by various state and central government departments. 

Deepti Dutt, Head of Strategic Initiatives, Public Sector at Amazon Internet Services Private Limited (AISPL), takes us through the ideation and development of  Startup Ramp Program.

The launchpad:

• The programme is now operational across nine countries in the Asia Pacific and Japan region, including India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• AWS Startup Ramp includes startups working in segments such as agriculture, healthcare, smart cities, education, and others.
• Bengaluru-based healthtech startup Eka Care and Mumbai-based plastic waste management startup, Recity have been part of the programme. 

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Deepti Dutt, Head of Strategic Initiatives, Public Sector, AISPL

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News & updates

• Out the door: ​​Google’s head of public policy for India has resigned just five months after taking the job, two sources told Reuters, at a potentially critical time for the US tech giant as it awaits the outcome of at least two antitrust cases in the country.
• Homegrown: Apple Inc. began making its new iPhone 14 in India sooner than anticipated, after a surprisingly smooth production rollout that slashed the lag between Chinese and Indian output from months to mere weeks.
• Discontent: TikTok may face a £27 million ($29 million) fine in the UK after privacy regulators found failings in the company’s handling of children’s data. The Information Commissioner’s Office said it has provisionally found that TikTok breached UK data protection law between May 2018 and July 2020.

What you should watch out for

• Four years after the Supreme Court passed an order allowing for proceedings on cases of national importance to be live-streamed to the public, it is going to be implemented from today.
• State funeral in Tokyo for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
• FM Nirmala Sitharaman to review performance of Credit and other Welfare Schemes for Scheduled Castes in Public Sector Banks.
• It’s World Tourism Day today. 

When was the first video uploaded to YouTube?

Answer: On April 23, 2005, co-founder Jawed Karim’s video “Me at the zoo” was the first to be uploaded to YouTube.

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