Meet The SHEROES: Rashika Jain, Co-founder, Weblistr

She wanted to send a gift to her friend in Kuwait, but none of the major shopping portals could deliver there. After extensive research, she found one portal, and soon, she realised there is a lot of information gap in the e-commerce industry. Flipkart and Amazon have their restrictions, and there is a whole world of websites and apps offering products and services online, making our lives convenient. But people are either unaware or do not trust them! That’s when she decided to offer a solution, and thus was born Weblistr, an online shopping guide.

Meet innovator and trendsetter Rashika Jain, the co-founder of Weblistr.com.

Edited excerpts from the interesting conversation:

Trendsetter since early days

Born and brought up in Kolkata, I was a very attentive and notorious kid in school. I was mostly inclined to execute things differently. Driven with the same passion, in my 11th standard, as the president of the social service club, I conceptualised and organised the first ever inter-school fest for the differently-abled students. The fest has won many awards since, and has been one of the proudest achievements of my life.

After finishing my graduation and post graduation, I worked with Bharti Airtel in sales and marketing for a while, before I decided to quit and pursue my entrepreneurship dream. The startup buzz around the country was very fascinating, and I was drawn to the interesting things people were doing. I wanted to be a part of this innovation. I got married about a year ago, and I started Weblistr soon after my marriage

How Weblistr works

Weblistr aims to list all websites that offer products and services online. It’s a smart web directory and guide. It helps users discover new and lesser-known websites, so all their products- and services-needs could be fulfilled in a few clicks. The ratings and reviews are user-generated, and they decide which website(s) will be at the top.

How websites are ranked

We have done a lot of research, and we are now developing an algorithm that will rank websites based on three aspects:

• Popularity on the web (traffic);

• Rating on Weblistr platform; and

• Relevance to a particular category.

For instance, we have a category called “Home Décor”. Now, there are websites like Flipkart and Amazon which offer home décor amongst other things, and there are websites like Urban Ladder and Pepperfry that specialise in it. If we consider only website traffic/popularity, then the former will always be ranked on top. However, because we take into account all three factors, users get the best websites for their needs on the top of the list.

Unlearning obsolete practices is the biggest challenge

There are a lot of entrepreneurs today doing a whole lot of interesting things online. However, they cannot reach their target audience because of many reasons. I am driven by the will to connect such businesses to the right set of customers.

And since we are at the epitome of technology, the world of internet is constantly changing. My biggest challenge is to unlearn obsolete practices and adapt to new ways of doing work on the internet. I try and stay up to date with the latest technology, understanding consumer behavior in the online space and content management.

Life at Weblistr

We usually start work by 9. We have a cozy office with no chambers. It makes communication and discussions very easy (and we have a lot of those). The culture is very flexible, and there is no hierarchy. The office environment is lively, because the average age of our team is 23-24. We even have weekly presentations by our team members on various topics--this acts as a knowledge enhancer for all of us.

Work-life balance: Easy to lose focus

I feel that things change once you get married. Family responsibilities and social obligations increase. I am lucky to have a very supportive family, but even then, there are times when it is easy to lose focus. So it is important to draw the right lines and make necessary compromises--some with your career, some with your social life. Ultimately, it is the art of perfect balancing that will take you places and keep you happy.

Why you can trust our rankings

Word-of-mouth today is very powerful, especially because of the internet. People believe more in what others have to say compared to what a brand has to say. The power of user reviews cannot be undermined. The rankings and reviews on our platform are provided by users of those online service providers. So yes, you can and should trust them. Even for the recommendations that are made by our team, a lot of research goes into the findings--we talk to customers, and sometimes even order from websites to ensure they provide good service.

How startups are helping

Because of so many startups in India, it’s getting easier to establish oneself as an entrepreneur. There is an ecosystem being set in place, and a drastic change in mindsets. Entrepreneurs are keen to helping other entrepreneurs, and age and gender are not barriers anymore. So, all of these are helping me grow and learn. In fact, our business model is based on the existence of startups in India.

Advice to young women entrepreneurs

• Work hard. There is no substitute to that. And keep upgrading your knowledge base; constantly learn new things.

• Break out of this gender bias. There are a lot of opportunities for women today, and enough examples of success. The world is getting competitive each day. Buck up and compete; don’t make excuses.

• Don’t give up your career and dreams because of personal obligations like marriage and kids. They are all a part of life, and will happen. Take a break, rejoice, but come back. It's going to be hard, but when you have your identity, it's going to be worth it!