Staff Writer

**Why do products matter? Why does design?**
**Something has changed. The most popular software apps and products are no longer derivative from the west. They are fundamentally Asia first and there is no precedent for them, both in the way they are built and designed.

This is a big change from the first generation of internet and e-commerce giants, many of which were inspired by western peers. Flipkart had Amazon and Ola had Uber. Today we have the Dunzos, Swiggys, Khatabooks, Zerodhas and CREDs, which aren’t merely local replicas of western businesses or products.

For the last few years, everyone has been understanding the rules of building these products and designing them, and teaching them to others collectively. Now that knowledge is getting institutional. Hence we believe it’s time to start telling stories about the decisions, trade offs, priorities, beliefs, that led to the creation of amazing products and unique design. Our journalism has always been about telling stories about businesses. This role is about telling stories about how Indian businesses make products, how they design them, and the thinking that goes behind the decisions.

**But, why stories?**

Because it’s not enough to merely report news events. Or to just collate events and facts into an article, and hope for readers to do the work of understanding their relevance.

At _The Ken_ we believe in writing original and deeply reported business stories with a strong narrative element. Whether a long form feature or a sharp newsletter or a data-driven analysis, we pay a lot of attention to getting our storytelling right. That means giving our writers enough time to report, write and edit their stories - on average around 10-12 days for just one story.

They are also given enough creative space to tell their stories using words and visuals. A dedicated Desk Edit team works behind the scenes to provide valuable feedback all across the idea or pitch right till the published final draft. And being a subscriber-driven organization, the feedback doesn’t stop after publishing. Our global community of subscribers is a rich daily source of feedback and learning around every story.

**And why you**

Not many organizations these days ask what journalists want. Instead, roles are often structured around what they’re expected to deliver. We like to think of it in reverse. Great journalism comes from newsrooms that place journalists and their interests, ambitions and preferences at the centre of their storytelling.

We started _The Ken_ in 2016 with the desire to create a place where talented, ethical and ambitious journalists could build and sustain a newsroom to tell important stories without being pressured to file “exclusives”, churn out copycat pieces or meet impossible story “targets”.

Today, a Staff Writer writes about 2-3 stories a month. Some also write their own weekly newsletters, to build a stronger and more personal connect with their subscribers.

Our journalists are supported to formulate their own point of view. The stories they do aren’t thrust upon them, but come from their own innate desire to tell them. This means we’re looking for reporters who want to learn and improve; tell their own original stories; and develop and hone their own points of view.

In addition, you are
- Self-driven and ambitious, able to source original stories and insights from your network
- Ability to synthesise multiple reporting perspectives into a compelling, explanatory narrative
- Able to see ahead of news cycles, and see what is likely to happen over a 6-12 month horizon
- Able to stick your neck out with informed opinions when required
- Build source networks with employees, leaders, founders and investors in the companies

If what we said above resonates with you, we’re pretty sure you’ll find _The Ken_ is a great place for you.

While _The Ken_ does not chase scoops, we do place an emphasis on original insight and impactful breaking news. That is especially true of this role.

We work across numerous time zones. You will collaborate via tools like Slack, Zoom, Coda and Google Suite with a distributed newsroom comprising award winning journalists across multiple countries, editors, visual designers, podcasters, product managers and developers.

**What we offer**

One of our tenets is to offer the most competitive salaries and meaningful benefits we can to our colleagues.
- Great salaries
- The latest Apple Macbooks
- A flat, non-hierarchical and open culture
- A universal ESOP plan
- Health insurance for you and your family
- Cutting-edge learning opportunities, whether it be on journalism or subscriptions products
- Unlimited leaves
- Company-sponsored therapy

**About The Ken**:

- The Ken_ is a pan-Asian, online business publication founded in India in October 2016. We pioneered and built the category of subscribers-only business journalism and are known for our consistently deep and analytical coverage of business, tech