It’s time to pause your Spotify Radio and put down your headphones because today we are gonna take a peek into the phone of a special someone in the Spotify team.
Should this be your first time reading this series, Apps I Live By is a Wednesday peek into the smartphones of influential personalities. We find out what apps they use and understand how they are made useful in the lives of these figures. Last week, we took a look at the smartphone of Joseph Phua, founder of popular dating app, Paktor. Have you read about my peek with one of TripAdvisor’s director too? If you have a story to share, or want me to cover any personalities, I would love for you to get in touch with me at dawn@vulcanpost.com. Are you ready for this week’s feature?
Allow me to introduce Sunita, Spotify’s managing director for Asia.
Formerly at Facebook as their Advertising Director for Asia, Sunita joined the Spotify family last year as their Managing Director for Asia and is now based in Singapore.
Her wealth of experiences drawn from stints in Microsoft, Time Warners, and the Singapore Press Holdings has definitely equipped her to lead the way for Spotify’s entry into the asian market. In her free time, Sunita loves a good cup of coffee and is a passionate yoga practitioner, never failing to enjoy at least 15 minutes of yoga everyday.
Today, we’re privileged to take a look at the apps she uses and also try to figure out – how does she simply slip 15 minutes of yoga in her schedule everyday as a busy managing director for Spotify?
1. Whatsapp
“This is the messaging app I use the most because most of the people I know also use this service to stay connected. Also, Spotify has a new social function that allows me to share songs with my friends and loved ones via WhatsApp, be it a song I just discovered or #ThrowbackThursday classics.”
I use Spotify everyday, but man, I didn’t know about this social function on Whatsapp. Any avid Spotify users out there?
2. Hangouts
“As Spotify is a global company, we catch up with our colleagues outside Asia via Hangouts, because we find video calls more interactive. This app is extremely useful especially when I’m on the move—it allows me to join team calls with colleagues in Stockholm and New York as I’m shuttling back and forth from meetings here in Singapore.”
Folks who enjoy long periods of video communication would probably be torn between Google Hangouts and Skype, with the latter making group video calls from a paid premium to officially free for users this year.
3. Uber
“What I love about Uber is the fact that it can get me from Point A to Point B conveniently and in the comfort of a private car at that! This app comes in handy not only when I’m in Singapore, but even more so when I’m on business trips in other countries in South East Asia, such as Malaysia and the Philippines. We’re also happy to be one of their partners as we continue expanding into more markets across the region.”
It’s getting uber-licious here in Asia. Even though I’m hearing more from GrabTaxi these days, this collaboration with Spotify is interesting to know!
4. Spotify
“My favourite app—and this goes without saying, is Spotify! I have a playlist curated by our head of Label Relations called Sunita’s Homework, which contains all the freshest tracks I absolutely need to hear at the moment. With over 20 million tracks, it’s really the best free music experience ever.”
Sunita’s Homework! Definitely checking it out.
5. Flipboard
“I always want to stay in the know when it comes to breaking news and cultural trends, so I love how I can curate the articles I want to read via Flipboard. Another thing that’s great about it is the fact that I can save the articles when I want to read them again or share them with my friends.”
Also known as your social news magazine, Flipboard is making news with its recent acquisition of a visual storytelling startup, Ultravisual. Seems like more and more are replacing their ‘flips’ with ‘clicks.’
Read: Jaded by throngs of irrelevant posts? Feecha might just be the solution you need
6. VSCO Cam
“Whenever I get a dose of inspiration amidst my usually hectic schedule, this wonderful photo app allows me to capture such beautiful images with its minimalist filters and slick interface.”
Perhaps you may recognise this app more as a hashtag – #vscocam; the acronym VSCO represents the company name Visual Supply Company. I liked what Joel Flory, co-founder of VSCO says about the camera app – “Megapixels aren’t everything. The beauty is as hardware improves, the average person taking a photo with their phone wins. That really excites us.”
Thank you Sunita for allowing us this exclusive peek into your homescreen. Although we find no hints on how you are able to manage yoga every day, I am guessing it happens a lot when you are off your phone, which is a good practice to have.
Now, where in Singapore would you head to for a sumptuous and healthy lunch? My next interview peeks into a highly rated gourmet salad bar in Singapore.
Any guesses where?