To spice things up last year, we featured our Founder and CEO, Adewale Yusuf. Today, we’re once again going behind the scenes at Techpoint Africa to spotlight our Culture Editor and Director of SME by Techpoint, Titilola Oludimu.
She has a passion for digging up important stories in the tech ecosystem which would ordinarily go unnoticed and turning them into gold.
Over the years, she has written several impactful and emotional stories of people that have propelled their businesses and careers. She recently wrote a story about Dara Oladosu, who created the famous Twitter bot, Quoted Replies, which played a major role in landing him a job at Twitter.
Titilola shares her routines, tools, and hacks for getting things done.
Current role: Director, SME by Techpoint at Techpoint Africa, and Culture Editor
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Current computer: Samsung Chromebook
Current mobile device: iPhone 7
Describe how you work in one word: Flexible
Tell us briefly how you started out and how you got where you are today
After graduating from the university with a degree in human anatomy, I didn’t know what to do with my life. And getting a job remotely related to anatomy wasn’t something I was looking forward to after working at a hospital for about six months.
I got my first real job as a social media intern at Techpoint in 2017. I’ve spent the past three years learning a lot, from social media management to writing, journalism, editing, event management, and helping small businesses grow, among other things.
Walk us through a typical workday
I wake up by 5:30 a.m. and, depending on my mood, do a quick 10-15 minute cardio workout. I prepare and eat breakfast before I leave home for the office by 7:30 a.m. I use my commute to catch up on new episodes of my favourite podcasts.
Depending on the day of the week, I attend the team-wide and/or editorial pitch meetings which typically run from 9 to 10 a.m. Afterwards, I plan my day which usually involves writing stories, conducting interviews, editing articles, and working on SME by Techpoint business.
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I take breaks in between to reply to WhatsApp messages and emails, return missed calls, and check social media for trending topics to be included in my weekly Social Media Roundup. I try to clear out my to-do list before I leave the office because I like to spend the rest of the day doing personal things.
What apps, gadgets, or tools can’t you do without?
My phone, MiFi, Twitter, Gmail, iMessage, Apple Podcast, Apple Music, the Notes app, Slack, and Google Docs.
What’s your favourite shortcut or hack?
I turn off notifications for all apps on my phone asides Slack, Reminders, and Calendar. Notifications can be disruptive and they create a false sense of urgency that I really do not care for. This helps me to prioritise important tasks and attend to other things in my own time.
And I ask Siri to do a lot of things for me: set reminders, do calculations, and quick searches without having to leave what I’m doing at that moment. Also, I listen to classical music while I work, it helps me concentrate.
What task do you dislike but still do?
Sending emails. I find email etiquette very exhausting.
How do you plan such that you make the most of your time?
Structured to-do lists don’t exactly work for me but I write them in my Notes app or note pad anyway. I try to follow through by doing the most important tasks first and setting reminders for the smaller tasks.
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
Notes app and reminders.
How do you recharge or take a break?
I scroll through my Twitter timeline, it’s always lit. I also like to watch old TV shows, especially sitcoms.
Besides work, what do you spend time doing? What do you enjoy?
I enjoy listening to podcasts and binge-watching my favourite TV shows. I also enjoy going to the movies with friends, relaxing at the beach, and reading fiction.
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to? What do you recommend?
Current read: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemmingway for our reading club at work.
Current watch: The Office
Listening to: Hidden Brain and Sleepwalkers. These are two podcasts I strongly recommend if you’re interested in human psychology and how tech affects our daily lives respectively.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Do what makes you happy.
What’s a problem you’re still trying to solve?
I believe everyone has a story and many of the important ones go untold. I try to tell the stories I encounter as well as I can. I am also trying to help small businesses across Africa grow with the help of technology.
Who would you like to see answer these questions?
Affiong Williams, Victor Ekwealor, and Yomi Kazeem.
