ET BureauRandi Zuckerberg, founder & CEO of Zuckerberg Media has a mission at her hands—simplify technology for everyone. Author of two books Dot Complicated & Dot, a TV content producer, an angel investor, Randi started the eponymous firm after a seven year stint at Facebook where she handled marketing and was the spokesperson of the social media giant in its early years.
“I quit as I was encouraging others, particularly women, to start companies. Looking back, Facebook was like a nice vacation,” says Randi, in an exclusive chat with Shelley Singh & Anumeha Chaturvedi on the sidelines of the ET Global Business Summit. In a wide ranging interview, Randi discusses how access can transform lives for the have-nots, challenges of the digital era, efforts by large companies to solve the access problem and more. Edited excerpts:
What exactly is the focus of Zuckerberg Media? Do you plan to start operations in India?
At Zuckerberg Media, we’re doing a lot of content creation. We are doing several TV shows that are coming out this year. We have a children’s TV show coming up this fall. If there are broadcast partner opportunities in India or Indian media companies that are creating original content then we would love to partner with them. Though we have no plans to set up an office in India at present.
We create digital content and we are across media, that’s TV, digital networks, mobile. When you’re talking about programming for children, they access shows on mobiles and tablets anytime, anywhere.
The big challenge in countries like India is the digital ‘have not’ population which does not have internet access. What could be done to enable more people to come online?
It’s something that has to happen because more and more jobs are revolving around technology. Industries, manufacturing are adopting Artificial Intelligence and robotics. For people who don’t have any access or knowledge of tech, will really limit any potential of job opportunities for them in a decade from now. As a society we owe it to people that as many people as possible get internet access.
By partnering with private companies who can do that or government incentives to deploy internet access and broadband connectivity to remote regions. I worry about a world where you have the digital haves and have-nots. Digital haves whose children have access to technology the moment they are born and the digital have-nots whose generation is going to be so far behind. Can they ever really catch up?
Large companies have projects to get the have-nots online. Like Project Loon by Google or Free Basics by Facebook and several other efforts. Do you think such efforts can help solve the access problem?
I think it can as long as these companies are committed to supporting these efforts. As long as it is not just one time get in and get out — now it’s your problem. If there’s an ongoing effort from the government and private corporations to work together and if the cities themselves take ownership and responsibility for maintaining some of these initiatives then I think it’s a recipe for success. But if it’s just Google, Facebook, and private corporations coming and doing something and leaving then it’s not for long term success.
Do you miss your days at Facebook?
I miss it like you miss a great vacation you went on once. You know if you went back to that same place you could never recreate that memories but you feel so happy for them when you look back at the photo album.
People suspect the goal of large companies in providing internet access. They see it as against net neutrality. And that the company in question might have access to a lot of information that it’s not entitled to have.
It depends on a view point. Right now some internet is better than no internet. If we get people online and help educate the population about the value and benefits, like access to education, medicine and connection to the outside world it will be great. As we introduce people to internet we also need to educate them on their data and what they’re sharing. It becomes really important to inform people on the benefits and also the trade-offs but not scare them. There are a lot more benefits to being connected to the world rather than downsides.
There are very few women in technology roles. Will this create problems of access to work opportunities for women and those who are not too familiar with technology?
That’s something that I think about a lot. The positive answer is that it’s much better today than it was a decade ago when I started working at Facebook and Silicon Valley. You are starting to see a lot many female start up founders now and even in India. But yes the numbers are so poor. So much worse than they need to be. At the top tech companies fewer than 15% of the employees are women and very few of the executive team and leading engineers building the products are women which is especially confusing as when you look at sites like YouTube, the majority of women are consuming the content and how could there be no women. It’s not just YouTube but applies to all tech companies. Women are the majority users of all of these tech companies. For me diversity is a real passion area. Gender diversity is just one type of diversity. Ethnic diversity numbers drop—only 2% of employees in US are ethnic American for Afro-Americans. Diversity is an area that we need to expand upon.
You have spoken out against cyber bullying in the past. There’s also trolling on Twitter. What can be done to curb such incidents?
I’ve spoken out pretty loudly against online anonymity. I realise that it’s easier for me to say this living in the US where there is freedom of speech, there’s protection. I do not speak on behalf of everyone. But in democracies there’s freedom of speech we need to be responsible about what we post online. And how can you want all the benefits of internet without taking any responsibility for your actions and words.
Its like, have all the benefits of driving a car without getting a driver’s license. So I found in my work at Facebook and Silicon Valley and now elsewhere that people behave more responsibly when their actual name and identity is tied to what they’re saying online. Anonymity brings out the worst, when people hide behind a computer screen.
Are you interested in investing in startups in India?
I am doing lot of angel investing. I’m very interested in start ups started by women. So that’s an area of interest. I’ve not yet invested in any company in India, though I could look at meeting companies. My plate is full right now but I always make room for exciting founders. I’m able to meet a wide variety of people through some of the incubator programmes.
Are you working on any more books?
Dot Complicated and Dot are the two books that came out at the same time. Right now I’m working on expanding both of them. Dot Complicated is now a show that I host. Dot is a TV show in partnership with the Jim Henson Company. That’s coming out this fall. They have one other show that I’m on that’s called Quit Your Day Job which is shark tank, but for women investors, entrepreneurs. People who have an idea and want to get funding from us so that they can quite their day jobs.
Facebook’s Free Basics plan to provide internet access to all has met with a lot of criticism. Why so?
I’m going to stay away from that as I’m not an official spokesperson of Facebook.
Where do you see the whole connected world headed? Are there limits to connectivity?
I think everything in balance is the way to go. Right now we’re still in a phase where we need more connectivity in the world. Of course there’s such a thing as too much connectivity. When you live in a world where everything in your house is connected there’s always a tradeoff. Do we really need that much data collected on us? Or a smart dog collar? Maybe some people do.
I just went to the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas where 70,000 new products were launched in one week. There were a lot cool products but would one actually use them? There was a product which could take all your pictures and print them on your latte — foam of your coffee can have your picture. Now, this is fun but would you need that? There are real problems to solve in the world.
A lot of tech startups don’t employ too many people. You have companies like WhatsApp with just 50 people and are global. So where would jobs be created and are these the companies of the future?
That’s a great question. There will be always be room for skilled people. I think companies like that are the tiny outliers from reality. Their impact might be massive. I always counsel entrepreneurs who think of selling their companies in one year. That happens for a few companies not the millions of other companies.
How much technology do you use in your daily life?
I use a lot but I also have times of unplugging. That’s really important to me because Sometimes technology can get in between people you love without realizing it. I recently switched back to using a regular alarm clock. I noticed when I use my phone as an alarm clock I immediately go into e-mails, text messages and that’s a terrible way to start the day. I try to go about the first 30 minutes in the morning without looking at my phone. It really helps to start your day getting grounded and thinking about the big picture of what you have to do in a day, what you want to accomplish rather that planning your day after seeing what messages you get.
I love to try new gadgets. I came home from the Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas (early in January) with 30 new gadgets to try out in my life in some way. These are different phones, virtual reality type glasses, phone attachments, lot of baby tech, an area where I do lot of personal angel investing in and I try these on my own children (one & four year old), smart baby monitors. I have to immediately see the value in a new gadget to keep using it. If it’s too hard to set up and I don’t get value out of it, it’s not for me.
We’re surrounded by technology 24x7. What’s the downside of being in the digital era?
I don’t like to call it downside, but challenges. Technology is not good or bad. If you’re using technology in a way that brings closer to the things or people you like or care about then it’s useful. But if you find that technology is putting up a barrier between you and your time and your loved ones, then you’re skewed towards the challenges part of technology.
What excites you about India?
So much excites me about India. I think it’s definitely a country with a lot of challenges and also so much opportunity. When you think about the ability, the opportunity that lies ahead to connect a billion more people and give them internet access and what that means for people in remote areas suddenly having healthcare access, telemedicine. Or in areas of the country if you have a phone you can get education, really shows the beauty of internet and beauty of technology.
When used correctly technology can level the playing field for people who have money & don’t have money, people who have access or don’t have access. For me that’s why I got into technology and that’s what made me wake up every morning at Facebook and made me so excited about what we were doing. Because when you can give a voice to people who don’t have a voice, by using technology, that’s great.
“I quit as I was encouraging others, particularly women, to start companies. Looking back, Facebook was like a nice vacation,” says Randi, in an exclusive chat with Shelley Singh & Anumeha Chaturvedi on the sidelines of the ET Global Business Summit. In a wide ranging interview, Randi discusses how access can transform lives for the have-nots, challenges of the digital era, efforts by large companies to solve the access problem and more. Edited excerpts:
What exactly is the focus of Zuckerberg Media? Do you plan to start operations in India?
At Zuckerberg Media, we’re doing a lot of content creation. We are doing several TV shows that are coming out this year. We have a children’s TV show coming up this fall. If there are broadcast partner opportunities in India or Indian media companies that are creating original content then we would love to partner with them. Though we have no plans to set up an office in India at present.
We create digital content and we are across media, that’s TV, digital networks, mobile. When you’re talking about programming for children, they access shows on mobiles and tablets anytime, anywhere.
The big challenge in countries like India is the digital ‘have not’ population which does not have internet access. What could be done to enable more people to come online?
It’s something that has to happen because more and more jobs are revolving around technology. Industries, manufacturing are adopting Artificial Intelligence and robotics. For people who don’t have any access or knowledge of tech, will really limit any potential of job opportunities for them in a decade from now. As a society we owe it to people that as many people as possible get internet access.
By partnering with private companies who can do that or government incentives to deploy internet access and broadband connectivity to remote regions. I worry about a world where you have the digital haves and have-nots. Digital haves whose children have access to technology the moment they are born and the digital have-nots whose generation is going to be so far behind. Can they ever really catch up?
Large companies have projects to get the have-nots online. Like Project Loon by Google or Free Basics by Facebook and several other efforts. Do you think such efforts can help solve the access problem?
I think it can as long as these companies are committed to supporting these efforts. As long as it is not just one time get in and get out — now it’s your problem. If there’s an ongoing effort from the government and private corporations to work together and if the cities themselves take ownership and responsibility for maintaining some of these initiatives then I think it’s a recipe for success. But if it’s just Google, Facebook, and private corporations coming and doing something and leaving then it’s not for long term success.
Do you miss your days at Facebook?
I miss it like you miss a great vacation you went on once. You know if you went back to that same place you could never recreate that memories but you feel so happy for them when you look back at the photo album.
People suspect the goal of large companies in providing internet access. They see it as against net neutrality. And that the company in question might have access to a lot of information that it’s not entitled to have.
It depends on a view point. Right now some internet is better than no internet. If we get people online and help educate the population about the value and benefits, like access to education, medicine and connection to the outside world it will be great. As we introduce people to internet we also need to educate them on their data and what they’re sharing. It becomes really important to inform people on the benefits and also the trade-offs but not scare them. There are a lot more benefits to being connected to the world rather than downsides.
There are very few women in technology roles. Will this create problems of access to work opportunities for women and those who are not too familiar with technology?
That’s something that I think about a lot. The positive answer is that it’s much better today than it was a decade ago when I started working at Facebook and Silicon Valley. You are starting to see a lot many female start up founders now and even in India. But yes the numbers are so poor. So much worse than they need to be. At the top tech companies fewer than 15% of the employees are women and very few of the executive team and leading engineers building the products are women which is especially confusing as when you look at sites like YouTube, the majority of women are consuming the content and how could there be no women. It’s not just YouTube but applies to all tech companies. Women are the majority users of all of these tech companies. For me diversity is a real passion area. Gender diversity is just one type of diversity. Ethnic diversity numbers drop—only 2% of employees in US are ethnic American for Afro-Americans. Diversity is an area that we need to expand upon.
You have spoken out against cyber bullying in the past. There’s also trolling on Twitter. What can be done to curb such incidents?
I’ve spoken out pretty loudly against online anonymity. I realise that it’s easier for me to say this living in the US where there is freedom of speech, there’s protection. I do not speak on behalf of everyone. But in democracies there’s freedom of speech we need to be responsible about what we post online. And how can you want all the benefits of internet without taking any responsibility for your actions and words.
Its like, have all the benefits of driving a car without getting a driver’s license. So I found in my work at Facebook and Silicon Valley and now elsewhere that people behave more responsibly when their actual name and identity is tied to what they’re saying online. Anonymity brings out the worst, when people hide behind a computer screen.
Are you interested in investing in startups in India?
I am doing lot of angel investing. I’m very interested in start ups started by women. So that’s an area of interest. I’ve not yet invested in any company in India, though I could look at meeting companies. My plate is full right now but I always make room for exciting founders. I’m able to meet a wide variety of people through some of the incubator programmes.
Are you working on any more books?
Dot Complicated and Dot are the two books that came out at the same time. Right now I’m working on expanding both of them. Dot Complicated is now a show that I host. Dot is a TV show in partnership with the Jim Henson Company. That’s coming out this fall. They have one other show that I’m on that’s called Quit Your Day Job which is shark tank, but for women investors, entrepreneurs. People who have an idea and want to get funding from us so that they can quite their day jobs.
Facebook’s Free Basics plan to provide internet access to all has met with a lot of criticism. Why so?
I’m going to stay away from that as I’m not an official spokesperson of Facebook.
Where do you see the whole connected world headed? Are there limits to connectivity?
I think everything in balance is the way to go. Right now we’re still in a phase where we need more connectivity in the world. Of course there’s such a thing as too much connectivity. When you live in a world where everything in your house is connected there’s always a tradeoff. Do we really need that much data collected on us? Or a smart dog collar? Maybe some people do.
I just went to the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas where 70,000 new products were launched in one week. There were a lot cool products but would one actually use them? There was a product which could take all your pictures and print them on your latte — foam of your coffee can have your picture. Now, this is fun but would you need that? There are real problems to solve in the world.
A lot of tech startups don’t employ too many people. You have companies like WhatsApp with just 50 people and are global. So where would jobs be created and are these the companies of the future?
That’s a great question. There will be always be room for skilled people. I think companies like that are the tiny outliers from reality. Their impact might be massive. I always counsel entrepreneurs who think of selling their companies in one year. That happens for a few companies not the millions of other companies.
How much technology do you use in your daily life?
I use a lot but I also have times of unplugging. That’s really important to me because Sometimes technology can get in between people you love without realizing it. I recently switched back to using a regular alarm clock. I noticed when I use my phone as an alarm clock I immediately go into e-mails, text messages and that’s a terrible way to start the day. I try to go about the first 30 minutes in the morning without looking at my phone. It really helps to start your day getting grounded and thinking about the big picture of what you have to do in a day, what you want to accomplish rather that planning your day after seeing what messages you get.
I love to try new gadgets. I came home from the Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas (early in January) with 30 new gadgets to try out in my life in some way. These are different phones, virtual reality type glasses, phone attachments, lot of baby tech, an area where I do lot of personal angel investing in and I try these on my own children (one & four year old), smart baby monitors. I have to immediately see the value in a new gadget to keep using it. If it’s too hard to set up and I don’t get value out of it, it’s not for me.
We’re surrounded by technology 24x7. What’s the downside of being in the digital era?
I don’t like to call it downside, but challenges. Technology is not good or bad. If you’re using technology in a way that brings closer to the things or people you like or care about then it’s useful. But if you find that technology is putting up a barrier between you and your time and your loved ones, then you’re skewed towards the challenges part of technology.
What excites you about India?
So much excites me about India. I think it’s definitely a country with a lot of challenges and also so much opportunity. When you think about the ability, the opportunity that lies ahead to connect a billion more people and give them internet access and what that means for people in remote areas suddenly having healthcare access, telemedicine. Or in areas of the country if you have a phone you can get education, really shows the beauty of internet and beauty of technology.
When used correctly technology can level the playing field for people who have money & don’t have money, people who have access or don’t have access. For me that’s why I got into technology and that’s what made me wake up every morning at Facebook and made me so excited about what we were doing. Because when you can give a voice to people who don’t have a voice, by using technology, that’s great.
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