.png)
SheCanCode's Spilling The T
SheCanCode's Spilling The T
Getting ahead and leading the way
In a world where only 25% of leadership roles in market research are held by women, Vidisha, CEO of Streetbees, is breaking barriers and blazing trails. Join us as we delve into her remarkable journey, from her humble beginnings in the industry to her current position as a pioneering female leader. Vidisha shares insights into her experiences over the last six months, offering valuable advice for women aspiring to enter the field of market research.
But Vidisha's influence extends beyond her role at Streetbees. With a fervent passion for empowering women in tech, she advocates for a collaborative approach to gender equality in the industry. From fostering determination in aspiring female professionals to championing government support for initiatives like improved childcare access, Vidisha explores the multi-faceted path to progress.
Furthermore, Vidisha unveils the cutting-edge work being done at Streetbees, pushing the boundaries of traditional market research with AI-driven insights. Discover how Streetbees is spearheading the industry's evolution, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to revolutionize market research and drive business transformation. Join us as we uncover the inspiring journey of a leader who is not just getting ahead but leading the way for women in market research and tech.
SheCanCode is a collaborative community of women in tech working together to tackle the tech gender gap.
Join our community to find a supportive network, opportunities, guidance and jobs, so you can excel in your tech career.
Hello everyone, thank you for tuning in again. I am Katie Batesman, the Content Director at she Can Code, and today we are discussing getting ahead and leading the way. I've got the wonderful Vidisha Gaglani, ceo of Street Bees, with me today and she's here to share her insights on advancing women's career in the tech industry. We're going to touch upon the importance of individual determination, mentorship and government support for initiatives like improved childcare access and much, much more. Hi Fadisha, welcome. Thank you for joining us, hi Katie.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:It's a pleasure to have you on here. We have lots to get through today, but we'd love to kick off with a little bit about you, if that's okay. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into tech?
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely so. Yeah, if you'd asked me many years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd have ended up in the tech industry. But here I am. So I studied psychology at university, always sort of interested in human behavi behaviors, underlying motivations and drivers, and that really was my route into market research initially. So I yeah, one of my friends was in the industry I'd give it a go and, you know, haven't looked back since then.
Speaker 2:Initially I worked at more traditional agencies, sort of learning the ropes, both theory and practice. But as I sort of progressed I always felt there were like limitations with those traditional methods. You know long, tedious tick box surveys, very slow processes that produce quite sort of surface level data, that produce quite sort of surface level data. And, yes, I've always looking for improvements in how the industry might change. And, yeah, that's how I sort of came along and sort of was introduced to Streetbees.
Speaker 2:It was through an ex-colleague of mine and what I really loved about it was it was a tech first company that was disrupting the market research industry and I genuinely wanted to drive, be part of that change, drive that change. And I also wanted a new challenge. So it felt like a good fit. I started leading a small team of researchers at Street Views and then you know work focusing on building client relationships, sort of work, my way up to head up a larger team of researchers and strategists as well. So you know getting more embedded within our customers, sort of more critical, business critical and you know then moving into the C-level, so Chief Customer Officer, and then last year the previous CEO and the co-founder. She stepped down and she asked me to step in, which you know was a quite a challenging, demanding transition. But quite a challenging, uh, demanding transition.
Speaker 1:But uh, you know, I well yeah, rose to the challenge and yeah, here I am now. Yeah, no regrets, it's all. It's all a challenge, as you say, but yeah, really definite, definite growth. Um, uh, taking on the role of CEO. Um, I love the fact that you said that you uh didn't know that you would be working in tech if somebody had asked you.
Speaker 1:That's so. Many of our ladies in our community have exactly the same story and they've either fallen into tech or they're considering coming into tech. So we love that on here. That's why this podcast was started to hear ladies that find their way into the tech industry and just never look back and think you know, why didn't I do this sooner? So yeah, you're a great example of another lady that's done that. So our ladies are going to love to hear that. Obviously, it sounds like you've been. You know your career route was very successful and you found your way in and you found your way up, but I'd love to know what challenges did you face as a woman in the tech field and how did you overcome them? So did you have challenges as well? Some of our ladies say they didn't.
Speaker 2:I think I've been quite lucky on that side, especially since, I would say, previously, my career, potentially, you know, as I said, I worked more traditional companies, quite bureaucratic, um, very top down. You know it's difficult to um make your way, not not as a woman, just as anyone really, um, but uh, it was, uh, it's just one of those slow processes and um, as I said, it's a quite a top-down industry and um, you kind of rise slowly through the ranks. I think that's where why I also really loved coming into Street Bees. The as a culture, you know, when I joined, was always about, you know, making your own way, looking at not necessarily looking at your background, who you are, where you came from, but really about what can you do? Um, so it's always promoted equality, diversity, looked at each individual skills, um, and you've been assessed on your capabilities, uh, nothing else.
Speaker 2:So I think I've been pretty lucky. Once, you know, once I sort of transitioned to this business and I think it's really important that, in order to progress and in order to overcome some of those challenges, you have that belief in yourself and that you have the drive to want to succeed. Um, you know, unfortunately, things are not going to be handed to you, um, so you do have to work hard to achieve them, but you it's really important that you also have that confidence in yourself and belief in yourself that you can actually achieve them as well yes, definitely, and and actually that leads on to to mentorship, but I wanted to ask you about in a second.
Speaker 1:But I completely agree, you have to have that internal determination first and then you can call upon mentors to help you. But, as you said, nothing's handed to you. People can help you along the way and they can share their advice and experience, but you do have to also have your own path that you want to follow, um and to succeed. And and if that is leadership, for example, um, which isn't for everybody, and some people try it and then think, nope, I don't want to do people management, that is not for me, um, but yeah, you do have to have that um, uh, that, that internal determination as well. Definitely, on that note about mentorship, what are your thoughts on mentorship? No-transcript.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's really important to have someone or a network that you can learn from, but also, you know, someone or a group of people that can give you advice and guidance along the way.
Speaker 2:I think without having those right advocates in place, you know, women can begin doubting their own abilities, question themselves, hesitate, wondering whether they're doing the right thing. Um, you know, there is always that fear of failure and I think a mentor can help you along in that journey. And I've had mentors in various forms over the years, whether they're line managers, peers, coaches, and I can say without a doubt that it's, you know, certainly helped me progress in my career and I think that's really important that mentorship programs and support networks are in place for women in tech, because it is a difficult industry, it is challenging and, you know, having the initiatives that can really provide the guidance, the advice, actually even a sense of community, can really help women navigate um some of the challenges, some of the doubts they may face um and to really allow them to to grow in their, in their, you know professions, in their careers. So, yeah, I'm all for it. I think it's, yeah, it's certainly been a part of my journey.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you said there as well, mentors in different forms. You're absolutely right. I think people seem to think as well. You're going to be, for instance, paired with a mentor within your own company, but there are lots of different ways that you can find a mentor and actually it is um sometimes better for you to find mentors in lots of different routes, and in your own company and externally, and different industries even you know. But it's um, it's it's finding, it's finding them and also, I suppose, making sure that you um, really, you know um, utilize that relationship and uh, and and instead of it, kind of some, some, especially ones that are internal. It's kind of, we're going to meet for a coffee and, uh, it's like a half hour chat, you know, once a month or something, and you might not get everything that you need out of it.
Speaker 2:But you might have different forms of mentorship that perhaps are a little bit more informal, that you get a little bit from absolutely, and I think when I um sort of stepped into this role, I was also, you know, something I found helpful was also being introduced to a network of other sort of female CEOs who who went on a similar, who have been on a similar journey to me, and I think, as well as that sort of being able to talk to others um in a similar, who have been on a similar journey to me, and I think as well as that sort of being able to talk to others um in a similar position, facing similar challenges, was also incredibly helpful yes, definitely, and based on what you just said there, I was thinking then about, um, you just talking about stepping into a CEO position and speaking to other ladies that have experienced that and what that is like, and I wanted to ask your advice about what advice would you give to women aspiring to enter or advance in the tech field, based on your own experiences and actually you just saying there about when you become a CEO and even sharing what that is like, and there we have lots of ladies on here that say you know what.
Speaker 1:You step into a leadership role for the first time, or you know, even if you're doing it for the first time, for instance, as a line manager, let alone a ceo and your team expects you to know everything. And suddenly you've got all the answers and you know you're expected to know absolutely everything and and a lot of ladies here on here have said know it can be quite a lonely place as well. You know you can't, you can't share all of your thoughts with your team because you don't want to worry them. But actually you just said that you know if you're talking to other CEOs, that that must have been a really nice feeling. So you said you know I'm not the only one that's feeling this way, or whatever it may have been that you were feeling when, when you became CEO.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, it's really true. I think um many people said to me, um, when I was coming into this role, that it is a lonely place or it can be anyway. Um, and it is. Um, I think having people to talk to outside of the business as well, um is important, um, I think. But I think something I'm sure many my myself included, many women face as well moving up is, um, that imposter syndrome. Right, um, can, can I do it? Uh, am I really sure I can do it? Um, and I think again, it's, I think it's completely normal, um, you don't know everything.
Speaker 2:You won't't know everything. You have to learn it, but you have to give yourself a chance and sort of accept that as well. And I think, if you're really passionate about something, you shouldn't be afraid to push yourself and go outside of your comfort zone. Take those risks, you know, yeah, you, but they, you will, they will also pay off.
Speaker 2:I think you know something I mentioned earlier as well you've got to work hard and you've got to believe in yourself, and sometimes you may have to make some sacrifices, you may have to make some compromises, but you don't, I don't think. You know, women should always feel that progression always has to come at the expense of your personal life, whatever that, whatever that may be, you know, really it can come down to prioritizing what matters, um, and really being disciplined about it. You know, I I do have a young daughter, um, you know, and I I do have to really prioritize what I'm working on, um, make time for her, um, make sure I get my work done as well, and I think it's finding that balance can be tricking, but it can be done as well yes, definitely that's.
Speaker 1:It's really good advice to um, you know, just just to let other ladies know that, um, you don't have to uh, sacrifice one area of your life for, for, and that there is a good work-life balance out there, and so it's just juggling the two. I wanted to ask you a little bit about government support. How do you believe government support, such as improved access to child care, can contribute to levelling the playing field for women in the tech industry? You mentioned having a daughter yourself there, so how do you think that government support can help?
Speaker 2:I think what the government could do, or could do better, is make child care a lot more accessible. Yeah, and, you know, help contribute, uh, to make it more. I know there is a contribution scheme that kicks in a bit later, but I think there is room for that to start earlier. The tech world and even other businesses, particularly startups, known for their pace, sometimes demanding work schedules, which it can make it difficult to balance that work and family life. In fact, I also read a recent article in the Economist that was around the impact of starting a family on a man's career versus a.
Speaker 2:It's really, really key to have that option of having that sort of more affordable, reliable, accessible child care services that can help alleviate the burden, because I know that for many the costs of child care can really outweigh the return to work and, and that's why having any additional support on that journey, um, would only be beneficial and really help reduce the stress of like that that and pressure of juggling those multiple responsibilities. I think that's what the government can really support with. I think, in in tandem companies, you know can also help by being a bit maybe having some more sort of flexibility around their policies to ensure they are sort of supportive of, you know, be it parents or people with sort of other care. You know commitments outside of work and I think that's something we, you know. I certainly do push at StreetBees because I recognise, being in a similar position, that having a bit more flexibility can really help as well.
Speaker 1:Definitely, and I love the fact that you mentioned startups there as well, because a conversation we have on here regularly is that you learn so much when you work at a startup and you progress a lot faster. You mentioned the pace there and sometimes it's very, very rewarding but also a very, very challenging environment to find yourself in and um, that's interesting. You there um tying the two together with um child care and being a parent, and you should still have the option of thinking you know, I want to join a startup and I want to be part of that and I want to be part of the company's um you know, amazing success story and growth. I shouldn't have to choose between. Because I'm a parent, I have to think I have to go into a corporate or you know a company that's already been built or something that's perhaps a little bit more um stable. You, you shouldn't have to have that thought. You should still think you know what, I'm gonna gonna pick a startup, because that's just way more fun.
Speaker 2:I think, I know I agree and I think, um, again, it creates a bit of an imbalance, right? Otherwise, then if, if the if you can't, if as a, as a parent, uh you can't, can't join a startup, then even startups don't benefit, because then you have very, you know, singular type of uh sort of employee pool there, and that's not really what you want. You know you want the best people, no matter um, you know, the most the best, the most talented uh people, and they come from all kinds of backgrounds. So I think, yeah, the more um options there are, the better for, I think, for both sides really definitely, and when we've um.
Speaker 1:I've spoken to ladies that become parents on here. I don't know if you have the same feeling, but a lot of people have said to me I became a very different employee after I became a parent as well and that you had all these skills you didn't know. You had, like, time management and negotiation and you know things like that. Is that something that you felt was very like? Actually, I'm a different person.
Speaker 2:I'm even better employee now yeah, you know, I think I did. I did adopt or adapt, let's say, build some other skills. So, definitely, prioritization was one and delegation was another one. Yeah, um, you know, uh, I won't lie, I have been a bit of a perfectionist in my time. Um and um, I I sort of accepted that, you know, I can't be across everything. That's why I have a very good team, um, and a very strong team, uh, to sort of to support me as well. So, yeah, absolutely learned a lot of um, new skills, um, or I would say they, they came to the forefront um, as I, as I you know, became a parent, parent definitely, um.
Speaker 1:You mentioned your team at Streetbees there and that you have a strong um and a very talented team. I want you to touch upon Streetbees a little bit. Um, streetbees is at the forefront of innovation in market research, so can you tell us about some of the exciting projects or initiatives that the company is currently working on?
Speaker 2:Yes, sure so we. Last September we sort of coinciding when I stepped into the CEO overall we launched our latest product, which is SBX. So as a company, we've always focused on conversational research and have leveraged, you know, ai and the latest tech to really decode complex human behavior. And we've taken that to the next level with the new product. So we've now used sort of large language models to automate the end-to-end market research workflow. Um. So that's the new product.
Speaker 2:But even within the new product, um, we've uh, we've launched a new feature recently, which is a photo and video integration.
Speaker 2:Um, so we have a community of uh users, users who actually take part in our stories, our surveys, our conversations, and now they've always been able to upload photos and videos as well to bring that sort of color, to really bring that consumer voice to life. Now, with our product, we can automatically analyze both the photo and video. So for videos, we can automatically transcribe them and analyze them to pull out key themes and, with the photos again, automatically extract information within the photos to classify, quantify them. So our customers can now benefit from the sort of more quantitative scale you know the numbers but also get that richness from not just from the text, but from different modes of input, be it sort of the photo or the video, which really helps them feel closer to their own audience as well yes, so from everything that you just told me there, do you think that when you were studying at university that you would be using any of the language that you just used there?
Speaker 2:no, maybe quantitative. So in market research you do do a course in uh, sorry, in psychology you do do a course in uh, statistics.
Speaker 1:So, um, so I had elements of it, but no, I did not think I would be using any of the other terms I just said yeah, yeah, but but the way that you talk about um street business, where you talk about it with such passion and working in tech, obviously sounds very natural to you and being able to communicate that you know where you're moving forward as a company sounded like you know it's very progressive, progressive and um you, you don't have to be a coder, for instance, to just to work in technology. You know the way that you manage to um talk about what you're doing and where you're going. Um was, was, uh, was, brilliant there. I always have just wondered when you said when you said it and I thought you know what you said that you fell into tech. So you sound like you fell into tech yeah, I've learned a lot along the way.
Speaker 2:um, that's the other sort of I guess, upside as well coming into, moving into a world where it's sort of linked to what you did but, you know, also transformational. You do learn a lot and I think that's something that's helped me in my journey as well.
Speaker 1:I've learned a lot on the tech side which I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do, uh, working at a more traditional company yes, yeah, and based on, um, what you just mentioned there about Streetbees and what's next for for Streetbees in terms of moving forward and and your team, what, what do you envision next?
Speaker 2:I think, really, we we are focusing on the new products, um the you. The market research industry is going through a huge transformation right now, with tech at the forefront. There are a lot of new gen AI players entering the market, and I think that is going to be the way forward. Customers our customers are no longer willing to wait months on end, pay through the roof to get access to real quality consumer insights, and I think that that means you have to move with the market, but also bear in mind that there is also the side where they're not. Our customers are also not willing yet to move away from that human expertise. That still remains critical. It gives them assurance. It gives them the confidence that there are guardrails around to make sure whatever they're getting, what they're receiving to make business decisions is still accurate. So I think for us, really, we are going to continue innovating, progressing the product.
Speaker 2:We built that product on over 10 plus years of expertise in conversational research, but also leveraging technology. We built our own proprietary models, know, trained by the experts. You know we do have a team of researchers and strategists who actually train our models, and that's based on years of domain expertise as well. We'll continue to blur the lines between quantitative and qualitative. Customers shouldn't also have to compromise, right, we can offer both.
Speaker 2:We have our own global community, so we can reach users anywhere you know in the world to get to make sure our customers are getting insights from not just the top five markets, but also from new markets, emerging markets, and I think we already work with some of the world's leading brands. So, really it's it's really just sort of continuing on that path and taking that product, our product, to the you know, to new lengths, to new levels. Um, you know, maintaining what was at our core, though, which was very much about letting consumers talk to us in their own words, um, you know whether, whether it's in text, audio video, through photos, and taking all of that really rich, unstructured data and making sense of it for our customers.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, in a very fast paced world which is technology, one of those buzzwords at the minute as well is artificial intelligence, and I wanted to pick your brains on that a little bit. How do you see AI revolutionizing the market research landscape, and what role does StreetBees play in this transformation?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say the I think I touched on it a bit already, so I think I sort of maybe answered a bit of that, because I think it's really about making things faster, easier, uh, more cost efficient, and that's how it is really transforming um the industry.
Speaker 2:That's where, how it's moving the industry forward, um, and different companies use it in different ways and, um, I think the way for for us is that we do have that competitive edge because of the experience we have already, because of the team we have that crosses, you know, engineers, product researchers, operation specialists you know we've got a lot of the domain expertise combined with the technical expertise already in place because of how we started, and I think, really, as we move forward, that I don't think, you know, the industry certainly isn't ready for, you know, the it to be fully run on by AI.
Speaker 2:Like I said, our customers still value the human expertise and I think what ai is really doing is augment, augmenting it, um, making it uh easier, making it simpler, not just for the customers but for us as well, um, and I think that's where that's where the industry will move and I think, to really remain on top, you have to keep innovating, you have to keep offering something that's different, but not just different. That's better, and that's what we always have at the top of our minds as well as we sort of look at how to develop the product.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you are right, it's that mindset of it is making things better and more efficient. There are always those headlines around AI and people are still very nervous of you know what it's doing and, um, like you said, it's having that balance as well of a human still being involved in that. There's still that element of um, a human being involved there, but, as you said it's, it is just making sure that ai is being used to make things faster and better, and finding that balance for your consumers is so important. Fadisha, we're almost out of time. I just wanted to ask you one last question out of curiosity. If you were speaking to your younger self, is there any advice that you would give yourself before you came into the tech industry and also before you became CEO to the?
Speaker 2:tech industry and also, before you became CEO, I think I would have said to think, to not limit myself right. So, to keep and I think I did do this, but you know, to keep the options open, to think broadly, to really not limit your own growth. Um, so, had you asked me as a young, my younger self, did I ever think I would become CEO? No, forget working in the tech industry as well. I think all of that combined. But I think, look, if you've got the drive, you've got the ambition, you want to succeed, you want to grow, you want to take on new challenges. Don't ever limit yourself. Um, you know, keep pushing and I think you also find your path as you you go through. You don't always know when you're young what you want to do, and I don't think that's a problem. Like you don't have to make all your decisions at that age. Um, start on the path, see where it takes you, um, and then, yeah, once you know what you want, yeah, just just go for it.
Speaker 1:Really, yes, I completely agree. You don't have to make all the decisions when you're young, um, and know exactly what, what you're going to do, um, and and, as I mentioned right at the start, there's so many of our community transition into tech at different stages in their careers, and it's always inspiring to hear when ladies have done that and been successful with that as well. So, I completely agree, you don't. You don't have to have all the answers after graduation.
Speaker 2:Even at 25, I don't think I had the answers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think a lot of us have felt that along the way, um, but we are out of time already. It's been an absolute pleasure chatting with you today. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to come in and have a chat with us.
Speaker 2:It's it's been really invaluable, so thank you thank you, it's been, it's been great um it's been really enjoyable. So thank you for having me again thank you, but everybody listening as always.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for joining us and we hope to see you again next time.
