Speaking to TechGraph, Vidyarthi Baddireddy, Co-Founder & CEO of PickMyWork has said, “The relevance of the gig economy has given birth to a new group of people known as “solopreneurs,” who are mostly Millennials and Generation Z’ers who offer their skills to established enterprises in the market.”
Read the complete interview:
TechGraph: Could you help give a sense of how far PickMyWork has come since its existence? From when it began to where it is now?
Vidyarthi Baddireddy: PickMyWork had a solid start since its launch. ‘Ok Credit’ became their first client after the PickMyWork mobile application was released on the Play Store in January 2020.
Initially investing their limited savings, the founders were able to scale PickMyWork to $12 Mn ARR in revenues, enough to keep the show running for another 18 months, largely owing to a good revenue model in place that kept the unit economics positive. In late 2022, SOSV invested in PickMyWork to build India’s largest pay-per-sale distribution network.
At present, the gig platform operates in 210 cities with 300,000 gig workers and merchants as part of its agent network. PickMyWork’s gig workers have onboarded over 2,50,000 SMBs, and 25+ clients are benefiting from their network.
TechGraph: How is PickMyWork leveraging technology to enhance the customer experience?
Vidyarthi Baddireddy: PickMyWork employs cutting-edge technology to source, train, and manage agents for digital companies, allowing them to scale and gain brand awareness. The PickMyWork mobile app lists internet products that need to be sold to end users (individual users/shop owners).
Live Webinars and pre-recorded training videos are available along with an MCQ test for each product to improve the understanding of the on-field agents. Indian youth who want to earn extra money can download the PickMyWork mobile app from the Google Play store and begin earning when a sale is completed successfully.
TechGraph: How is technology transforming the gig industry? Do you think the trend had taken hold even before the pandemic-induced disruptions?
Vidyarthi Baddireddy: The gig industry had already witnessed the entry of disruptive technologies before Covid-19 with the introduction of delivery and ride gigs.
However, the pandemic propelled its growth and widespread adoption. Managing large, remote, and on-demand retail workforces is a daunting task, particularly when vast numbers of assignments are to be completed across several hundred locations.
On-demand workers give the retail industry a lot of flexibility, and with Apps like PickMyWork available for field management, retailers can streamline operations so they can focus on optimizing field execution and expanding their businesses. Also, the impact of digitalization on the gig industry is already opening up new avenues for job creation.
TechGraph: What are the new trends in the Gig economy?
Vidyarthi Baddireddy: The current gig economy scenario has honed possibilities for reskilling, upskilling, and dynamically shaping tech integration. The relevance of the gig economy has given birth to a new group of people known as “solopreneurs,” who are mostly Millennials and Generation Z’ers who offer their skills to established enterprises in the market.
Also, the reverse migration trend during the pandemic has seen the top-notch labor force returning to their home cities. This has allowed big brands to hire quality people in Tier-2,3 and 4 cities to gain access to larger talent pools.
TechGraph: PickMyWork has been collaborating with different industry experts, brands, and technology partners to boost its digital footprint. Going forward, do you see more such engagements?
Vidyarthi Baddireddy: The brand’s model is weaved around a precise mix of technology and gig workforce. Together, the model boosts the presence of various internet-based products.
Going forward, PickMyWork aims at strengthening the tech backbone to ensure precision, efficiency, and bigger results for our brands and partners.
TechGraph: What is the roadmap for PickMyWork going forward?
Vidyarthi Baddireddy: PickMyWork’s strategy is to work diligently to mark its footprints into new geographies, upskill its gig workers, and establish a robust foundational model for its clients to scale up and attract more customers.
As new-age startups flourish in the Fintech, D2C, and Social Commerce spaces, PickMyWork intends to be the premier choice of distribution channel for all emerging startups. In addition, PickMyWork seeks to have 10 million agents on its digital distribution network by the end of 2023 and aims to empower more gig workers in the cities where it is currently active.