Social change
[Stories of social change] Building a good news site during COVID-19
Over the years, the world has seen remarkable and rapid advancements in technology which are deeply impacting society. Despite this, we continue to struggle with issues such as poverty, violence, and climate change. At Thoughtworks, we believe that technologists have a unique role to play in how we can positively impact society and push for a more equitable tech future.
In our Stories of Social Change series, we are sharing stories from Thoughtworkers around the world who have leveraged their skills and experience to build technology that truly impacts people and effects social change. These stories show that technologists are in a unique position to change the world and inspire action in others.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, Thoughtworks was in a unique position to start new projects completely remotely with organisations whose purpose align closely to our values around amplifying positive social change.
Thoughtworks partnered with Femnøise, a startup developing a series of business opportunities for women, transgender and non-binary artists to fight to reduce the gender gap in the music industry.
Natalia San Juan, CEO and Founder of Femnøise, shared with us how the project came about: “We came up with the idea of a platform where artists could obtain new sources of income, create synergies, get visibility and encourage the creation of references. We believed it was necessary to find a technology partner who, beyond development, would get involved in the values of gender equality and would give us the global vision we need to really generate a change of paradigm."'
We worked together to create an e-learning platform where women, transgender, and non-binary people can sell music training courses to the Femnøise community. The aim of the platform is to allow artists to monetize their experience, learn new skills, empower each other, and get recognition for their talent. Additionally, it allows people to discover local artists with the help of the search map functionality.
With tours cancelled, music venues closed, and people staying at home due to COVID-19, it has been increasingly difficult for artists to earn a living. This was a great opportunity to increase access to the community. In the first four days of its launch, the site has seen 1,000+ views per day and features 300+ artists across five continents who have created their profile on the app.
The team faced many challenges: they only had 8 weeks to deliver the project, working fully remotely, a first for Thoughtworks Spain. Femnøise came up with a proof of concept but they weren’t sure of its chances to succeed. The team focused on the smallest possible unit of work to validate assumptions about the users and the market. They chose to use Lean Startup techniques, collaborating closely with Femnøise with the aim to quickly deliver value. Thanks to the agile and collaborative mindset of the team, this project has been an exciting and meaningful experience, creating an impact in the music industry.
In our Stories of Social Change series, we are sharing stories from Thoughtworkers around the world who have leveraged their skills and experience to build technology that truly impacts people and effects social change. These stories show that technologists are in a unique position to change the world and inspire action in others.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, Thoughtworks was in a unique position to start new projects completely remotely with organisations whose purpose align closely to our values around amplifying positive social change.
Thoughtworks partnered with Femnøise, a startup developing a series of business opportunities for women, transgender and non-binary artists to fight to reduce the gender gap in the music industry.
Natalia San Juan, CEO and Founder of Femnøise, shared with us how the project came about: “We came up with the idea of a platform where artists could obtain new sources of income, create synergies, get visibility and encourage the creation of references. We believed it was necessary to find a technology partner who, beyond development, would get involved in the values of gender equality and would give us the global vision we need to really generate a change of paradigm."'
We worked together to create an e-learning platform where women, transgender, and non-binary people can sell music training courses to the Femnøise community. The aim of the platform is to allow artists to monetize their experience, learn new skills, empower each other, and get recognition for their talent. Additionally, it allows people to discover local artists with the help of the search map functionality.
With tours cancelled, music venues closed, and people staying at home due to COVID-19, it has been increasingly difficult for artists to earn a living. This was a great opportunity to increase access to the community. In the first four days of its launch, the site has seen 1,000+ views per day and features 300+ artists across five continents who have created their profile on the app.
The team faced many challenges: they only had 8 weeks to deliver the project, working fully remotely, a first for Thoughtworks Spain. Femnøise came up with a proof of concept but they weren’t sure of its chances to succeed. The team focused on the smallest possible unit of work to validate assumptions about the users and the market. They chose to use Lean Startup techniques, collaborating closely with Femnøise with the aim to quickly deliver value. Thanks to the agile and collaborative mindset of the team, this project has been an exciting and meaningful experience, creating an impact in the music industry.
Choosing Thoughtworks for the development was the best decision we could have made. I never imagined having a team of so many professionals involved with our cause. It was a dream to have developers, business analysts, user experience experts and that 95% of them were women, in a sector where the gender gap is also noticeable. Thanks to this wonderful team, today we see the future of music with more optimism, we know that we have a platform that will help hundreds of thousands of women to continue fighting for their dreams. And of course, we know that we will continue to build a future together with Thoughtworks
Disclaimer: The statements and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Thoughtworks.
