#MeetTheSketchers is a series to put a face to the humans behind Sketchnote! Here's a chance to get to know the people who make the product tick, and see what makes THEM tick!
To start this amazing new series off, meet Nikhil Wadhwa! A Generalist at Sketchnote, Nikhil has previously interned with Blume Ventures in Mumbai. While he dabbles in a little bit of tech, a whole lot of content and more, he also moonlights as a standup comic! Read on to find out more about this extremely versatile member of Sketchnote!
You're the only Generalist in Sketchnote. What does your work entail?
Being a generalist means I get to talk to all members of the team and work with them. That's a lot of fun and very cool to work with content and then with a team of coders. I get a glimpse into how the tech side of things is working too. I sometimes get to make content around them too!
Tell me more?
I honestly feel privileged to get to know the platform so minutely. In fact, I've always hoped to work for a platform like Sketchnote and my role just makes it even more special. I've been a hands-on, always everywhere kind of person from the very beginning. So being a generalist came very naturally to me.
What makes you believe in what Sketchnote does?
I think if you can visualize what you have to do, it's a big step towards being successfully productive. A lot of times fear and procrastination hold you back. So when you work with views like Kanban and whiteboard on Sketchnote, that's half the problem solved. Years ago, I was a solopreneur myself, and I really believe that having Sketchnote back in the day would've made things much easier for me.
What's your favorite feature to work with on Sketchnote?
I love that the Calendar view has a lot of other subviews inside it. I can go to day views and agenda and see what's due when. Currently, my favorite view is My task. I love that the segregation of tasks is so personal (Nikhil leaves a lot of motivational messages as column names)! I get to arrange my work and do it at my pace.
What does your typical day look like?
I try to race to get to an early start. I'll usually be online much before the majority are online, by about 8 am. This gives me enough time to plan my day on a calendar—although being in a startup means having to replan your day at the drop of a hat! But that's the thrill of the journey.
You're also an aspiring standup comic. Tell us a bit about it?
I've taught myself standup comedy by following my idol, Whitney Cummings. She often says it takes a good five years for a comic to get comfortable on stage. You don't have to worry about being funny for the first five years. By Indian standards, I'd say that's about two to three years. I believe showing up is the biggest first step.
I remember when I shared the news with the team, Shreekant (CEO and co-founder at Sketchnote) excitedly tweeted about it. I thought I was going to be so nervous that he was telling everyone! But I really enjoyed the limelight and felt very supported.
All through this fun interaction, Nikhil couldn't believe this wasn't a prank! Bursting into peals of laughter every few minutes, Nikhil solemnly helped us kickstart #MeetTheSketchers really well! To many more interviews!
