Just hear me out

I used to question the motives and agenda of women who would let their kids become a public face of brands and get paid to do so. That was me, like three years ago.

Now, I can’t really get enough of documenting and sharing about my kid. Specifically on Instagram.

In 2018, a survey conducted by TheAsianParent in Indonesia showed that Instagram is the most popular social media platform among Indonesian digital moms, as reported in The Jakarta Post.

More than 98 per cent of Indonesian moms has at least one Instagram account with 34 per cent of them spending at least one to three hours per day on Instagram.

The survey by Tickled Media also showed that woman’s media consumption in Indonesia had a tendency to change once becoming a mother.

These surveys are all me, seem to track my experience converting to the life of Instagrammin’ motherin’.

No escape

Many people would argue that limiting your screen time once you become a parent should be the norm. Let me tell you, and it is a cold little truth: It is impossible. Unless you give up your phone, lock it somewhere safe, and wait for your kid to sleep.

Why?

Well for me, a remote-working stay at home Mom, my smartphone is basically my main survival tool. Even with a cracked screen and all, it’s what helped me go through my day working and connecting.

Also Read: 5 essential traits of a successful entrepreneur

As a lot of parents know, I can’t openly use my laptop for basic tasks with a toddler at home. I need it to write articles like these, so when I am answering emails or replying to colleagues, I have to hide the laptop. I live with a soon-to-be-toddler, I can’t have my one source of income ruined.

This is not to judge. Actually, I am a bit jealous of the hardcore perfect-parenting cult member, I don’t know how you get rid of your phone, but I salute you living in another level of connectivity and commitment.

Surviving one scroll at a time

Now that I have my phone with me 24/7 with a one-year-old, what’d do I with it besides working? Of course social media.

If I have a breather when my kid is busy with her pull and touch storybook or with her blocks, I open Instagram.

It’s more convenient, creatively inspiring, and not boring. Sorry Facebook and Twitter, but for Moms, Instagram is where it’s at.

Based on the survey mentioned before, “internet users increased by 48.7 percent, while television viewership reduced drastically to 78 percent” as most mothers preferred to spend time on the internet with most Indonesian digital moms use the internet to read parenting websites, check social media, and shop online.

Instagram is where the uplifting quotes and heartwarming videos that make you feel less alone in motherhood. And they are readily accessible. It tracks what you visit most and provides you with the exact content you are looking for.

Sometimes I worry that it’s on another level of creepy — as it feels like Instagram is listening to my conversation and showing me ads of the things I mentioned. But for the most part, it’s a nice 10 minute reprieve until my daughter inevitably knocks over her bricks and begins wailing.

I began my parenting journey on Instagram when I was pregnant. I read about steps and preps to decrease my chance of having a Caesarean section (spoiler alert: it worked, although not as smooth as I had hoped for). I watched tips to successfully breastfeed, and I watched new parents (my imminent future) interacting with a newborn on a daily basis.

After birth, I did the same for when I tried to find ideas on meal prepping for a baby who just started on solids. It helped me accessing information quickly, visually, and informatively.

Of course, I will step out of Instagram for deeper research as there’s no backlink on an Insta post, but the point is I learn. Also again, to drive the point home, now that I am a parent, sometimes I only have 10 minutes of quiet which is not enough time to read a book or long form article.

Having a community

I read a really nice quote by a mom featured in a Humans of New York on Instagram post. She said that motherhood can be “depersonalising” despite what people said about the magic and the privilege.

I felt that big time. It goes without saying that I’m aware of how lucky I am to get to be a mother, but I won’t lie that life without a kid was more easy and carefree.

It’s always gonna be hard. Just when you thought you have it all covered, your once-toddler is bringing home her first boyfriend. Another curveball forcing you to relearn what you know.

Also Read: ‘Airbnb for diving’ Deepblu connects scuba divers with dive shops around the world

Instagram is a double-edged sword, though, as too much scrolling and retaining of information can lead to excessive comparison and insecurity. I did catch the insecurity part. Seeing another person’s kid reach a milestone way ahead of your kid can be disheartening.

Comparison is the thief of joy, but it’s really on you, not other people, to not let comparison make the platform toxic.

I, for one, found my mommy community on Instagram. It was through a mutual friend and we have kept each other grounded ever since.

One time, one of the mommy friends I met through Instagram said that she’s glad that we talk every day about everything and that this group chat over Instagram Direct Message is the most positive mommy community that she’s a part of.

“It’s like we are all grownups here, not trying to impose unsolicited advice about motherhood or trying to show off that ‘my kids are better than yours’ mentality,” she said. I totally agree although I’m not that deep into motherhood group chats universe, as I only have this one, positive, group chat.

Personally updating each other, cheering up a mom-in-the-dumps and loving each other’s kids feel empowering to me, so much so that it becomes one of the highlights of my day (besides the coffee that gets to be enjoyed cold and my kid’s nap time).

Oversharing is not a crime, but…

The crime lies in exploiting. Staging things for the sake of engagements and the number of followers it not morally wrong, just vain. But don’t we all use Instagram to be in touch with our own vanities?

While I think we ought to embrace that side of ourselves, the vain one, we shouldn’t flare it up, just simply acknowledging it.

You may scroll a little too long, share a little too much, go a little too far, but make sure to catch yourself and put the phone down for a bit.

It does get complicated. As for me, I don’t want to share about my kid on my handle because I think it can become too much easily.

Maybe it’s just me but I still think people on Instagram can switch quickly from “oh so cute” to “no one thinks she’s cute stop showing off”. After all, oversharing is -to an extent- showing off.

I now have three accounts on Instagram that I revisit back and forth during the day, one of them is for my kid’s pictures and videos with her name as the handle.

Am I slowly becoming that mom whom I used to scoff at? But, for me, it’s more about freeze moments that go by quickly. Unfortunately, a cynic might think I am being obnoxious on my own account.

I think it’s best used to document your kid for personal mementos.

Being personal and candid on Instagram is the new cool, but it comes at a price. I know that once my kid grows older to understand better, I will have to set boundaries on getting everything, even my winding down time, from Instagram.

I think Instagram is used to build an image, a personal brand that you wish people would believe about you. You control your narrative.

I put the Instagram where I share pictures and videos of my kid on private, and I only allow people who I know, and who know my kid, to follow.

Because even if it’s helpful for me now, I may be treading the thin line between the useful parenting information sourcing and the failed parental supervision caused by the excessive use of it. No one can know for sure, but a parent must look at all the precautions.

When it comes to parenting, Instagram is, after all, a “proceed at your own risk” game.

Who knows, maybe when my kid is aware of Instagram I will delete it all (after saving the pictures of course) and let her take control of her digital footprint.

Although…who actually knows. I did use to judge the Instagramming-mother I have become.
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Photo by Kev Costello on Unsplash

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CoHive will use the funding to add new co-working, co-living, and co-retail locations

Co-working space operator CoHive announced a US$13.5 million Series B funding round led by Stonebridge Ventures. Other participating investors in the round included Kolon Investment, Stassets Investment, a local property developer as well as existing investors from the company’s Series A funding round such as H&CK Partners.

CoHive CEO and Founder Jason Lee stated that the Series B funding round will be closed at US$20 million. The company expected to hit the final number by the end of the year. It was the exact same number that the company has managed to close for its Series A funding round last year.

The funding will be used to fund the expansion of its co-working space into new locations in Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and Makassar. The company also aims to develop new products in the co-living and co-retail sectors, though it still has no plan to expand beyond Indonesia.

“There will be nine new co-working space locations that are ready to build; we are going to have up to 40 locations by the end of the year. There is also a possibility of [setting up a coworking space] in other potential locations, as we go where the demands are,” Lee explained on Wednesday, June 19.

In total, CoHive owns 31 locations in four Indonesian cities: Jakarta, Medan, Jogjakarta, and Bali with the total area of 65,000 square meters. The company has secured around 9,000 individuals and 8,000 startups who are renting their space on a monthly basis.

Also Read: CoHive to launch 18-story co-working building CoHive 101

Formerly known as EV Hive, CoHive has been operating since 2015 as a project by East Ventures. The company has been making aggressive moves in the sector, considering how it was only available in 17 locations (30,300 square meters with 3,100 members) in June 2018.

CoHive claimed to lead the Indonesian co-working space sector in Indonesia by having the biggest number of locations, followed by GoWork, Kolega, Union Space, Freeware Space, and Conclave.

New products by CoHive

 

At the same occasion, Lee also introduced the company’s three new products: CoLiving, CoRetail, and CoHive Event Space. The company also inaugurated its first building CoHive 101, which is located in the Mega Kuningan area of South Jakarta.

CoLiving is a combination of co-working and co-living space with a first location at Tower Crest West Vista, West Jakarta. The product is the result of a collaboration with Keppel Land Indonesia.

CoLiving provides 64 rooms with a total size of 2,800 square meters. Lee claimed that the first floor of CoLiving has started operations in May with a 90 per cent occupancy rate. Its second floor will be launched in September.

Also Read: A look into one of the most active early stage VC firms this year

CoRetail is a flexible and affordable service meant for retail businesses that are selling its products in startup communities such as CoHive. The product offers temporary pop-up stores, permanent stores, and canteen for these businesses.

This new product is available on the ground floor of CoHive 101. Tenants that have been using the service included Go-Food Festival, Fore Coffee, Pepenero Bakery, and Bukalapak.

“CoRetail makes it easier for retailers to start selling without the need to pay for deposits, which makes it hard for them to start their operations. We provide a different offerings from shopping malls, which require them to rent a space for three to five years and pay for 12 months in advance.”

Lee explained that their new product CoHive Event Space was meant to help their members and business partners in hosting meetings and company events. With its considerable number of branches, the product offers an opportunity for the company to maximise the use of existing space.

The CoHive 101 building was also launched during the same occasion. The building has a capacity of 2,700 individuals and included a coworking space, a private office space, CoRetail, an event space, a canteen, and other facilities. The company claimed that it has secured an occupancy rate of 75 per cent.

“CoHive also offers build-to-order option for startups with more than a hundred employees. Cermati and TaniHub have reached out to us to join, as they are attracted by the opportunities for collaboration that we offer,” Lee ended.

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The article CoHive Raih Pendanaan Seri B Lebih dari 192 Miliar Rupiah, Incar Tutup di Angka 285 Miliar Rupiah was written in Bahasa Indonesia by Marsya Nabila for DailySocial. English translation and editing by e27.

The post CoHive raises US$13.5M+ in Series B funding round, aims for US$20M appeared first on e27.

Working in a startup is very different from working in a large corporation

The startup life is full of twists and turns. One moment a startup might be making a breakthrough, but the next moment the team might be collapsing due to many possible causes, such as mismanagement, investor conflicts, and more.

Staying at a startup for several years is also not easy, especially in a society where young, fresh graduates are told to work for large corporations because the salary is higher and the career path is less risky.

For me, accepting the offer from my current company, Tagtoo, 4 years ago was actually the best decision I’ve ever made. It allowed me to closely observe how a CEO managed an organization and gave me the opportunity to take on more responsibilities.

Working in a startup is challenging. With that said, there are actually a few tips that can help you get through all the difficulties and succeed in any assigned mission.

Here are 3 takeaways I learned as a senior employee in a startup.

Be versatile and collaborative

In most cases, there is no clear structure in a startup organization. One moment you are approaching potential clients as a salesperson, the next moment you may be designing the next seasonal campaign as a marketer with other team members. This is exactly how a startup life looks like.

To be able to succeed in the aforementioned scene, being a master in a specific field is not necessary. In fact, being versatile and collaborative is key. A startup employee should be open in supporting any projects and be collaborative to work with colleagues from different teams to achieve a greater goal.

As far as I was concerned, my previous position was about managing our clients’ advertising accounts and optimizing their digital ads to reach the target ROI. Little did I realised that I was also required to handle customer service on behalf of the sales team sometimes due to the manpower shortage.

I didn’t think that my company didn’t appreciate my specialities. Instead, I was more than happy to support other teams in any way I could. I strongly agreed with the company’s mission and extremely valued the togetherness created by everyone in the organization.

Startup life is not as glamorous as one thinks, and, yes, it is sometimes kind of messy. But an ideal startup employee should be able to tolerate the chaos and utilise all his innate talents and work with other teams to ensure projects succeed.

Be independent and self-taught

In a startup, your manager might not be able to give you clear instructions all the time. Chances are he or she has several ongoing projects at hand and is supporting different functional teams.

In situations like this, being independent and self-taught becomes extremely critical for a startup employee to get on the right track and not to be at a loss of what to do. You can not expect others to come to your aid every time you are handling a hot potato.

Also Read: 7 ways to increase productivity at work

Take me as an example. There wasn’t anyone that possessed market research skills at Tagtoo when I took the position of Market Analyst. My assigned research reports continuously didn’t meet my CEO’s expectation. For the first 3 months, I was almost lost and was not sure how to step ahead.

Thankfully, I bounced back after realizing the sense of loss didn’t help at all. I changed the way I worked and started to utilize available online resources such as eMarketer and SimilarWeb to make reports look more professional. I also learned that I should see obstacles ahead as opportunities to improve my problem-solving skills and try to become a reliable employee that can take on greater responsibilities.

While it took me another 3 months to recover my morale, the process had enabled me to become more independent and deepened my skill of self-learning.

Be confident and ambitious

Startups are not like big corporates that have abundant resources to spare. It is critical to seize any potential opportunity, such as strategic partnerships, that enables your startup company to grow,

To help you startup gain a strong foothold in a market, being confident and ambitious is the key to success. The former allows you to take on more challenges and responsibilities while the latter helps you to see the bigger picture on the startup’s future development.

In my case, I was given numerous opportunities to engage with senior executives and convince them to adopt our services when I was promoted to oversee the business development in Jakarta. However, I found it hard to eliminate my fear to give decent sale presentations among experienced industry insiders and thereby failed to close any deal.

Also Read: What makes your readers click: Writing tips to improve conversions

Only when I came across several student entrepreneurs who seemed naive but confidently approached me did I learn that one’s confidence level can be increased through intentional practices. Subsequently, as the confidence level goes up, the way you see things will dramatically change and that’s when your ambition starts at play.

This may be the most difficult part to practice. It requires you to step out of your comfort zone and overcome your nervousness so that you can possess the self-belief that you can do a great job. It’s not easy, but I am pretty sure it will be rewarding.

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The acquisition was announced yesterday, June 19, by the CEO of Tokopedia, William Tanuwijaya

Indonesian e-Commerce platform Tokopedia announced that it has acquired both BrideStory and ParentStory, the former being wedding directory platform and the latter a children activity marketplace.

“Tokopedia’s mission has been about helping offline businesses thrives. We’ve been looking at wedding vendors, and discussing with both BrideStory and ParentStory up until the acquisition decision,” said William Tanuwijaya, CEO of Tokopedia.

With the acquisition, Kevin Mintaraga, a Co-founder of BrideStory, will join Tokopedia’s management as one of the Vice Presidents.

e27 has reached out to Mintaraga for comment.

Tanuwijaya emphasised that there will be no changes in BrideStory’s and ParentStory’s business model, as Tokopedia will not meddle with either’s operations. BrideStory will still be focussed on improving its wedding directory products, thus providing a full-fledged ecosystem.

Also Read: Accelerating Asia launches seed-stage accelerator cohort

“We’re still figuring out how best to integrate the products for vendors and Tokopedia. We certainly can provide the service of BrideStory in Tokopedia, or it could be something else,” said Tanuwijaya.
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The post Tokopedia buys wedding directory BrideStory and children activity platform ParentStory appeared first on e27.

The investment arm of India-based The Times Group plans to invest up to US$6.5 million to the Singaporean company

Brand Capital, the investment arm of India-based media group The Times Group, plans to invest up to US$6.5 million to Indorse, a skills verification platform based in Singapore. The initial investment is a convertible note at US$2 million, with a valuation of US$15 million, with the option of a further tranche of US$4.5 million.

Indorse said that the investment will be used for its expansion plan into India and to build the demand for its services through The Times Group’s media assets in India.

Indorse works by using a network of experts to assess and confirm the abilities, expertise, and achievements of candidates searching for new job roles. The initial focus was on the coding sector, allowing businesses to eliminate sorting through hundreds of applicants and immediately hire talents using a shortlist of candidates proven to have the right skills for the role within days.

Indorse claimed that it has already worked with both small and large tech companies in finding suitable talent, like its recent project conducting a tech recruitment event to assess coding and data science candidates for Grab.

Back in 2017, the company completed a fundraising round which reached US$9 million. In addition to that, UK listed investment and advisory firm, Coinsilium Group Limited (NEX:COIN), previously made S$450,000 seed investment for a 10 per cent equity stake in the business.

Also Read: Tokopedia buys wedding directory BrideStory and children activity platform ParentStory

“The support from The Times Group is a vote of confidence in our model and will help us build the brand to become a dependable source for employers seeking candidates with the right skills,” said Gaurang Torvekar, CEO and Co-Founder of Indorse.

By leveraging the experience of human experts across the world, Indorse believes that it provides a quality appraisal of tech talent, while substantially reducing the direct and indirect costs of the hiring process.

“Candidates can benefit from ‘indorsement’ by proving they can do the job they’re applying for – regardless of their CV’s content,” said Torvekar.
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