(Her)story of Zoho WorkDrive

It was 14 years ago when Zoho Docs, the predecessor to Zoho WorkDrive, began its journey. Ten years down the line, Zoho WorkDrive was released. Our progress is a result of the effort put forward by our team of engineers, designers, marketers, and tech support personnel. On this occasion of International Women's Day, we spoke with a few women leading WorkDrive's growth in various technical domains. Here's the transcript of our conversation:

Q: You've worked with Zoho WorkDrive and seen it grow through the years. Looking back, what is one event or instance you remember fondly?

Chandramathi: That's a tough question, because I've got to pick one out of a million wonderful experiences. We were in the early stages of WorkDrive and I suggested rewriting an entire layer of WD Architecture, which meant going back to the drawing board, but I was neither stopped nor questioned, but given the freedom to rewrite. I liked that environment, where your seniors are receptive to your ideas.

Aarthi: WorkDrive is such a great platform. However, before WorkDrive became WorkDrive, it was called something else. We almost launched it with the old name, but then our product manager, Vijay, (based on tons of research) decided to go the "teamwork" route and revamp the product itself. As a marketing team, we had to revamp our websites and all our collateral to not just reflect the new name, but also ensure that the old name was nowhere to be seen. It was so comprehensive and a great learning experience. We almost didn't launch just one product—we almost launched two!

Renuga: I joined Zoho through the Zoho University program. Thinking back on that decision today, I'm unsure whether I'd have reached this position if I had taken the conventional route of college education. Every day is a new learning experience, and If you ask me to name any special moment, I'd say all the days are unique with WorkDrive.

Q: As an active member of the team, what is your stance on work-life balance, and how has your team been supportive so far?

Renuga: Speaking of work-life balance, both my family and my team have been very supportive. As a new mom, I had to take a six-month break from my professional life to take care of my daughter. When I came back, the whole team was supportive and helped me catch up with all the developments and changes made to the product.

Aarthi: I have a great support system at work. All the allied teams—product, design, support, and sales—have always been inclusive and encouraging. I believe in a strong work-life balance and my team has always been supportive of it.

Q: What do you want to say to the women who want to get into a field of work similar to yours?

Aarthi: Marketing is about being creative and strategic at the same time, and as women, this comes naturally to us. Identify your strengths and play the field, constructing your game plan as and when opportunities present themselves. You can do whatever you want, as long as you have the passion to fuel it.

Chandramathi: I've seen a lot of women suffer from self-doubt, particularly women in STEM fields. To grow more confidence, there are three simple steps: learn, experiment, and repeat. Take calculated risks...Some succeed, many fail, but that will make you resilient in the face of failure, and in the process, your skillset will grow.

And that's a wrap!

Embrace equity is this year's theme for International Women's Day. It's a theme that's close to our hearts at Zoho. Every day, we strive to create an environment that supports growth and opportunities for all!

Embracing equity, we wish everyone a Happy International Women's Day!