Behold -- a Tweetstorm (1/n)
Exactly 3 weeks ago, my first tweet re. http://covidindia.org  was posted. Due to the extreme generosity of the Startup ecosystem in India, and my dear founder and VC friends, it got 200 RTs and 300+ likes.
In 1 day: 2 to 40 volunteers
2 days: to 65

(2/n)
3 days: to 85
and now, 21 days: to 1000+
What started as couple Stanford alumni, became an effort involving so many companies in India, their C-level folks too

As with any volunteer effort, 5% are most active (~50 rn), and ~10 are giving this back-breaking effort everyday

(3/n)
For me, I was chilling around until March 11th (Wed), until I read the @tomaspueyo Medium article on Acting NOW.
My Oh Shit moment. Sent it to 10+ healthtech founder friends, few VC frnds, few hospital chain owner frnds, asked them for India context. They shared dire data

(4/n)
realised I had the privilege of being able to work on only this full-time for next 6 months as needed, and I knew founders, VCs, Govt contacts (due to prev Disaster mgmt work during Kashmir floods), FICCI, CII, EO, Rotary heads, doctor networks, data scientists, hosp owners

(5/n)
User Research is the need of the hour, so we build what is needed. 4 ques we ask everyone:
1. What do you need rn
1. What do you wish you knew which you don't rn
2. What is most frustrating to you rn
3. What worries you the most wrt next 2 wks
Ask leaders & grassroots wrkrs

(6/n)
Biggest benefit of all volunteer effort-
Each person has day job. So they have addl context from their outside POV.
Used to rapidly course-correct our direction, v. agile.
We have no pvt agenda to advance, other than what Indian citizens need rn, and what @PMOIndia needs rn

(7/n)
Biggest challenges wrt data:
for imp questions, that @PMOIndia @mygovindia @NITIAayog need to take decisions:
e.g. what is current mask production capacity in India rn?
e.g. what is real-time need for PPEs + equipment by all covid19 hospitals pan-India rn?
Multiple sources:

(8/n)
@covidindiaorg crowd-sources + involves Industry bodies, pvt companies who want to collab, all our contacts, and shares back (while protecting privacy, and taking consent)
e.g. Each State can see Social distancing discipline macro-view (by viewing counts of lat/long data)

(9/n)
As of 48 hrs ago, @covidindiaorg has a task force to support/augment any State's war room + any District's war room: can provide funding, supplies, info, data, tech @MohapatraHemant @skirani @actioncovidteam @richabajpai87
Sharing best practices obsrvd in 1 war room w othrs

(10/n)
Wrt forecasts and predictions from data:
10 days into lockdown, and cases still growing at 22-23% per day. Now docs, frontline health workers showing symptoms too. We need to #ProtectOurHealthCareHeroes
Labs backlog rn ~7 days so from last wk will get added to numbers now

(11/n)
#tuberculosis: India epidemic for last 25 yrs
Like #covid19, highly infectious, affects resp system
#India world capital in #TB(27% of world's burden),70% cases in India pulmonary, high anti-biotic resistant
~1300 TB deaths in Ind/day
Hope covid19 steps help TB in Ind too

(12/n)
Need to ramp-up #testing+ #testingkits
#USA ramped up by enrolling all research labs and univs
Exemption from CLIA(like NABL in Ind)
1 exemption-huge impact
Most #IIT and Univs have BSL2 facility and real-time PCR/NGS machines,don't have NABL.
Request @PMOIndia to exempt

(13/n)
My key lessons so far:
#goldilocks balance:
1. fast better than perfect
2. still need to vet w experts first
Pandemic protocols severe for reason
Patience, Gratitude, Apologising, Me asking 4 forgiveness a lot. Never mngd 500+ ppl, 200+ external stakeholders b4.
Timecrunch

(14/n)
feel like my personal weaknesses and limitations are preventing us from moving faster. from doing more.
All remote, all voluntr work, & all new ppl have to produce high quality output within 1st 4hrs post-joining, v hard

My mental wellness coach helps me ~15mins evryday

(15/n)
Have started sharing her mental wellness voice notes and meditation sessions with all @covidindiaorg voluntrs
Will open zoom call to all
All can join for 15mins/day
Deeply stressed --> smiling asap
#Mentalhealth is most imp during #Lockdown21
Let's take care of each othr

(16/n)
Final tweet in this thread:
Deeply grateful for the privilege of working w some of the smartest people I have come across
Deeply apologetic for all I have hurt because I got stressed
Grateful to all who continue to forgive me everyday

Pls join: need v smart ppl asap