October 2020 publicity recap: howdy, remote work, our old friend

As autumn swept in all of a sudden around the middle of October, TrueSix began to remember the joys and sorrows of remote work.

Luckily, it's quite easy for copywriters – all we need is a computer with apps and tools to keep us going. Check out our colleague Ieva's awesome article, sharing what's part of a copywriter's arsenal and some wacky tips.

Anyhow, remote work after a few solid months of in-office working required some adjusting on our part. We had (and still have) our tricks (no spoilers for now!). And despite changes in the everyday scenery, October was a sweet month for our team. Carry on reading to find out why!

Spreading the message of upcoming 5G Techritory

While there are quite a few 5G conferences worldwide, there aren't many 5G events gathering such a diversity of participants. 

2020 is 5G Techritory Forum's 3rd year, and the event has set its bar high.

For 5G industry stakeholders and policymakers, the Forum is a platform for cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration in the Baltic Sea Region. For Truesix, 5G Techritory is an opportunity to witness the 5G industry’s hottest topics in Europe unraveling and the future of the 5G being made right in front of our eyes.

Our responsibility within 5G Techritory has been to draw media attention to the upcoming Forum and its agenda. Looking at the publicity gained during October, we can definitely say that the message was circulating in the media world. 

40+ publications highlighting this year's unique and broad speakers' list, agenda, and event's format were inspiring Truesix's team to keep up the good work until the Forum dates in November.

Here are some of the media sources that covered news of the upcoming 5G Techritory:

• Ask.com: 5G industry changemakers come together to put European 5G back on track
• Irish Tech News: 5G Techritory – Demonstrating Europe's Tech Dominance
• Ideal-ist: Join 5G Techritory 2020 - an online forum for 5G innovators and policymakers in the Baltic Sea Region
• eng.lsm: 5G Techritory program to focus on making Europe a 5G producer

Fast forward a bit: it's the second half of November already when I'm writing this Truesix publicity recap post. The 3rd 5G Techritory Forum has been a blast, gathering 200+ speakers in 100+ sessions. Cross my heart, I'll tell you EVERYTHING about it in our next recap post. For now – you can watch all of the 5G Techritory sessions' recordings in Archive until the end of the year. Enjoy!

Sharing the view from Latvia’s Startup Scene

At the end of October, DAI Digital Innovator Series interviewed our very own Truesix founder Julia about Latvia's startup scene and the digital realm.

For her, it's THE topic to talk about, yet Julia also briefly told the story of how she got involved with Latvia's startup scene in the first place, how it led to the founding of Truesix, and more.

A glimpse into the main takeaways from Julia's interview for DAI Digital Innovator Series:

• Latvia's startup scene has evolved quite significantly in the past years, and most and foremost, it's the organizational aspect that has developed with time.
• There's a broad area for development undoubtedly, but with continuous governmental support and raised awareness, the startup ecosystem will welcome even more growth–“success begets success!”
• Latvia's startup ecosystem has shifted its mindset towards a more global approach and international markets, which has brought increased Venture Capital funding and startups' longevity. 
• Neighbouring Estonia's thriving startup ecosystem encourages Latvia not to lower its standards. While Latvia hasn't welcomed its unicorn yet, it has developed many innovative and startup-friendly ICT policies.

• Latvia has an intriguing status with 5G developments. The local operator LMT is actively involved in many 5G use cases and was among the first in Europe to launch 5G.
• Despite 5G not being the norm in Latvia yet, the 5G Techritory conference, organized by the local telecom authorities, is an essential step to accelerate 5G innovations and gather Europe's 5G industry’s leading minds.
• The best advice for startup growth is ensuring the essentiality of a product. That way, one has more time to focus on achieving the development rather than proving the necessity of the product itself.

Read the full interview with our founder Julia here.

Coffee, WordPress Translation Management, and EdTech Solutions

What an odd combo – you may think after reading the heading. Well, maybe. Nonetheless, the unifying moment here for all three topics is media attention.

Coffee and productivity

Do you know what is the best time of the day to drink coffee for a productivity boost? Ask our colleague Ieva for expert advice on this one. Her take on our client DeskTime's study on coffee+productivity gained some media publicity in October (take a look at it here and here).

Ieva may tell you that the biggest coffee consumers are Northern Europeans, ¼ of coffee drinkers consider themselves addicted to the “juice,” and the best time to drink coffee is 10-11.30 AM and 2-5 PM. 

Plus, the smell of coffee can reduce stress, and a sip of the drink stimulates the release of dopamine, the feel-good chemical. 

Digital solutions to reduce students' anxiety

If working from home isn't easy, then remote education is a whole another struggle. Luckily, the 21st century has its assets to lessen the anxiety brought by learning remotely. 

Now Latvia is facing the second wave of the pandemic after a relatively calm summer virus-wise. And edtech solutions can again prove their unmeasurable worth.

One can argue if the partly remote education that began in October has been as well-organized as during this year's spring when the country went on lockdown. However, the previous experience has taught the country's educational system quite a lot, and it didn't meet autumn unprepared.

Our article Reducing student anxiety with digital solutions was published in the UK-based edtech digital magazine Education Technology. It covered Latvia's first experience with remote education in spring and its outcomes, digital solutions put into place, such as project TavaKlase by our client Telia, and the strategies for autumn of Latvia's education system.

Managing WordPress translations

A translated WordPress (WP) website is beneficial for everyone, from marketing and SEO to customers. However, running a big-scale translation project can be challenging for sure. 

One of our clients, localization and translation management platform Lokalise, is familiar with the struggle, as making it easier is what it's there for. The company offers a broad range of localization and translation products and services and is eager to share its knowledge with the world.

A thorough guide of everything to consider before starting a WP localization project and how to ensure that it's done the best way possible received some niche digital media attention. Click here to read the full article.

Bonus: The essential tip from Lokalise on managing WP localization projects includes a systematic approach, thoroughly chosen tools, and effective team collaboration. Define everyone’s roles and responsibilities. Make sure that they're on the same page while working with a handy translation management system with a WPintegration.

Salute from Truesix's remote team

That's about it on the publicity our team has gained for our clients during October. We truly enjoy the variety of topics our work covers. It helps us to stay alert, especially during the working-from-home season.

Usually, I'd end this recap post with some general goodbye wishes. But this time, for the sake of not getting too boring, here are a few tips from Truesix on how to manage remote teamwork:

1. Say hello to your teammates when you plug in and wave goodbye when the workday is over. You'll feel more connected and aware that you're all in this together – just each in your own home.
2. Organize a video call whenever you need to discuss something. Being home nearly 24/7 can make you dull. Talking eye to eye with your teammates, even if it's online, can shake you up a bit. And nothing is more effective than a direct conversation + it's just lovely to see some faces.
3. Schedule a weekly call to go through the tasks and communicate the team's priorities. It makes sure that everyone's on the same page.
4. Remote team building is THE thing. Whether it is an online game, an ongoing competition, or virtual daily chitchat – the options are vast. Truesix has a weekly virtual happy hour on Fridays to wind down after a workweek. Plus again, it's really lovely to see some faces.