It’s time for TechSparks 2022!

Hello Reader,

After two years of virtual sessions and conferences, YourStory's flagship event is finally back, and this time in person. 

On Day 1, we have the father of the iPod and co-creator of the iPhone—Tony Fadell—who will discuss what it takes to build a truly iconic product. 

We also have Nithin Kamath, Founder and CEO, Zerodha, and Ola Founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal to discuss the rise of Inda’s superstar startups. 

Now, here are 10 reasons for you to attend the 13th edition of India’s most influential tech event.

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A video that has caught the internet’s attention is that of an octopus seemingly hugging a scuba diver! Andrea Humphreys says the octopus stayed close by her team for about 40 minutes, inspecting her dive equipment and taking a particular interest in her camera.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Things to watch out for at TechSparks 2022
• By women, for women at TechSparks 2022
• Meta’s mass layoffs

Here’s your trivia for today: Where were the personal computer, graphical user interface, handheld mouse, and Ethernet all first developed?

TechSparks

Things to watch out for at TechSparks 2022

The 13th edition of YourStory’s flagship startup-tech event has returned offline this year. Complete with a stellar line-up of some of the biggest names in the tech space, TechSparks 2022 will drive important discussions and ideas to best extract the Indian startup ecosystem’s potential for progress. 

Aligning with this year’s theme of ‘Building on India’s tech agenda’, here are a few themes and topics you’ll want to follow closely this weekend.

Look forward to:

• With growing interest and investment in making gaming a more innovative and immersive experience, what will the future of this multi-million dollar business look like and how will it contribute to India’s tech evolution?
• Are gaming startups in India raising enough money? Shashank Randev, Founder VC, 100X.VC, answers this in his keynote address.
• We are in an age where becoming a creator and monetising content are all the rage. How is this influencing the business of content creation?

Last but not least, what lies next for us as we set sights on bigger goals for the future? How closer are we going to be to becoming a Digital Superpower in 2025?

TechSparks 

By women, for women at TechSparks 2022

Working mothers have been fighting the long fight—battling society’s doubts and questions as entrepreneurs while thriving in their motherhood journeys. 

Here’s a track dedicated to identifying how we can elevate them better to do this and more.

Highlights:

• To grow at work requires utmost dedication and focus, but also the support of all stakeholders. Sangeetha Shetty, Global Head of HR at Ascendion, discusses how women can balance work and family commitments in her keynote speech, ‘Mums at work: Growing without compromise’.
• You will also learn how to succeed as both a mother and a founder in a fireside chat with Sreyssha George, MD and Partner, Boston Consulting Group.
• Follow along as Prakash Balasubramanian, Executive VP, Ascendion, discusses how and why we must build truly inclusive workplaces that support working mothers' career development.

Social Media

Meta’s mass layoffs

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the social media giant has decided to reduce the size of its team by about 13%, cutting over 11,000 jobs. 

“I want to take accountability for these decisions and for how we got here,” Zuckerberg said in a blog post as he announced the firm’s first major job cuts since its founding in 2004.

Key takeaways:

• Last month, Meta reported a more than 50% drop in profit and a second straight quarterly revenue decline, hit by weak advertising demand, increased competition from rivals like TikTok, and Apple’s iOS privacy changes.
• The social media giant’s shares have dived in 2022. Its stock has already lost two-third of its value so far this year.
• Facebook, which rebranded itself as Meta last October, is focused on bringing the metaverse—an immersive digital realm to life—and is making significant investments in this area. So far, the company has lost about $9.4 billion on its metaverse technology this year.

News & updates

• Quantum computing: International Business Machines Corp on Wednesday said it launched its most powerful quantum computer to date. Called the Osprey, the 433-qubit machine has three times the number of qubits than IBM's Eagle machine that was announced last year.
• The decline: Cryptocurrencies saw a second day of sharp declines on Wednesday, as investors continued to fret about the stability of the sector and the financial health of major exchange FTX despite plans for a rescue deal from bigger rival Binance.
• More layoffs: Salesforce has laid off hundreds of people this week as the onslaught of tech cutbacks continued unabated. The company has not shared an exact number but said it was less than a thousand.
• End of Ye: Adidas has cut its full-year guidance on the back of the German sportswear giant’s termination of its partnership with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand.

What you should watch out for

• TechSparks 2022 Day 1

Where were the personal computer, graphical user interface, handheld mouse, and Ethernet all first developed?

Answer: Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center). 

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