Behind the hype, workers in this fast-growing industry are looking not just for laughs but for real improvements to their working conditions, and Instagram accounts are doing both.
Ibn Nazir
While researching Indonesia’s startup ecosystem, we noticed one particular social media account popping up frequently: an account on Instagram that describes itself as an “e-commerce and tech meme factory” and a “community of executives and employees from India’s largest technology companies.” Despite its casual and humorous exterior, Ecommurz may be the key for employees (and others) to navigate the complexities of Indonesian startup work culture.
Gojek, Indonesia is the first country to start up a tech startup in the country. A startup is essentially any early-stage business. In Indonesia, the term usually refers to companies whose business model is based on digital technology. Startups range from apps that provide transportation and education services to online lending platforms. Indonesia is the country with the sixth-highest number of startups in the world. By the end of 2025, the value of Indonesia’s digital economy is expected to reach US$130 billion.
But behind the hype, the industry is an unpredictable ecosystem. On the one hand, many startup workers earn more than five times the minimum income in Jakarta. This is the result of a competitive job market that peaked during COVID-19 and increased investment in digital businesses. On the other hand, a lot of uncertainty puts these workers in a precarious situation. Shortly after the pandemic, a decline in foreign investment led to what many called a “tech winter” and sudden layoffs. Amid this precarious situation, Ecommurz emerged and gained popularity. By January 2024, the account had hundreds of thousands of followers.
Workplace Culture
At first glance, Ecommurz accounts seem random and unstructured. Its posts reference a variety of pop culture material, from Marvel superheroes to videos of men being tickled. The posts combine engaging photos and animations with (sometimes idiosyncratic) captions written in English. They don’t necessarily have a single coherent “meaning”, but rather create a constellation of emotions and associations. This increases relatability, as viewers can identify with different aspects of each meme. What they all have in common is their focus on the working conditions experienced by startup workers in Indonesia, a theme that Ecommurz generally addresses through humorous graphics with a sarcastic or self-pitying tone.
The above post was published shortly after the Eid holiday ended with the caption “Monday vibes.” The post includes two videos and has additional text added by Ecommurz., This suggests that after a long break, the work given to employees will be unmanageable. In the first video, a young man is held down by several men and screams while being tickled by others. Ecommurz added the text to the video: “How I will prevent tomorrow’s chaos.” To me, this clip shows that despite attempts to predict work after the break, startup employees are likely to be as helpless as the man overwhelmed by tickling.
In the second video, a person on a raft struggles to keep their balance against the strong current of the river, above which the account adds the text: “Me trying to rush into a chaotic tomorrow.” The creator of the meme likely imagines that the first day back at work will be chaotic, and feels the urge to run away from responsibilities. This effort is in vain, as is the person on the raft who is swept away by the rapids of the river.
The clips themselves don’t speak to the specific experiences of people working in startups. The intended meaning is framed in Ecommurz’s position as a hub for startup workers. For people working as professionals in Indonesian startups, the feeling that work is unstructured and chaotic is fairly common, especially when compared to established industries.
Just a cat?
Cats are one of the most popular materials for Internet memes. Ecommurz also uses cats, adopting them as the symbol of his account and often calling himself “just a cat.” Ecommurz usually uses the phrase after the account leaks information about a startup. In a recent case, Ecommurz commented on the government’s stance on foreign technology companies. When the account’s followers complained about the regulations, the account replied, “I’m just a cat.” The account actively downplays its influence over technology companies and reminds its followers that it is still just a meme account page.
The meme above depicts a cat with distinct black markings around its eyes. The image is accompanied by the text, “Me after work feeling pressured after making a bad decision,” and the caption reads, “Thinking about how much pressure I have to overcome in the next few days.” These captions are accompanied by a column where Ecommurz writes, “Staying late at the office again.” The image connects the black circles around the cat’s eyes to how workers get black eyes from lack of sleep after staying up all night working overtime. In this respect, the cat provides a humorous relief from what would normally be considered a dire situation. The adorable nature of these images contrasts with the stressful work culture that startup employees experience.
Source
Besides humorous content, Ecommurz shares information about the Indonesian startup ecosystem, possible acquisitions of one company by another, possible layoffs within certain startups, and even issues of corporate misconduct such as not paying employees. Some of my interlocutors suggested that sometimes information about the workplace can be obtained faster through this account than through official channels. Humor is minimal in this type of content, and posts are focused on sparking discussion on important topics. Such posts usually include infographics, graphs, or screenshots from news media, but can also include more creative forms of meme images.
The character used in this meme is a short clip from the TV series “Thomas Shelby, a fictional gang leader from Birmingham.” Peaky Blinders, Walking down the aisle. In the show, Shelby is portrayed as an influential person who takes various actions to expand the gang’s influence. This symbolism relates to an Ecommurz post based on an article published in Ken and Tech in Asia, two exclusive news platforms focused on the development of startups in Asia. The article highlights the role of two Southeast Asian technology giants, Gojek and Grab., It has produced former employees who have gone on to become executives and founders of many other startups in the region, leading the article to liken it to a mafia network due to the fact that only two companies have produced so many of the most influential people in the startup ecosystem. Peaky Blinders image.
Compared to the other memes, this post has very little humor. The photo of Thomas Shelby has a serious tone, which is emphasized by the caption. This slightly different tone was also picked up in the comments section, with one follower commenting, “I thought I was reading this.” [the technology news website] Asia Techapparently it’s Murz (surprised emoji).
Building an organization that goes beyond humor
Ecommurz initially started as a meme account, but has since grown into much more than a laugh-out-loud account. Some followers are using the information it provides to navigate the most personal aspects of their work life. In one of its Instagram “highlights,” “Mental Support,” the account shares the story of a follower who was searching for a suicide prevention hotline. An anonymous follower contacted Ecommurz through a direct message on Instagram. The follower had been laid off from his company and was feeling the emotional strain of having to shoulder various financial responsibilities. The account connected him to professional help, updated the story, and encouraged others to speak openly about their own mental health situations. The original story inspired other followers to share their own stories and praised Ecommurz for the active role he played in addressing the issue.
The account has received multiple “leaks” from startup employees about problems with their company’s work culture. There are stories about incompetent leadership, lack of overtime pay, exploitation of interns, etc. Companies mentioned by Ecommurz in such posts often issue official responses to the allegations. In one high-profile case, a major education startup accused of exploiting interns issued an official statement promising to improve the system. Given that many startups in Indonesia lack proper worker organizations and have limited accountability, Ecommurz serves as a platform that can have an impact on the Indonesian startup ecosystem, despite its limited capabilities. The chief technology officer of an agriculture startup commented: “Sometimes I wonder if I’m right. [one] These are the (startup) bosses depicted in these posts. Therefore, to some extent, Ecommurz memes can inspire startup executives to create a better company culture.
It remains to be seen how much of a change Ecommurz and similar accounts can make. After all, meme consumption is largely ephemeral and limited to the immediacy of social media. And it is not the role of meme accounts to bring about a healthy work culture in Indonesian startups. This responsibility should fall on key industry players, the startups themselves, venture capitalists, and government officials who preach an ideal future for Indonesia driven by a digital economy.
Ibnu Nazir (ibnu.daraini.21@ucl.ac.uk) I am a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology at UCL (University College London) and am currently writing a dissertation on the social nature of the Indonesian startup ecosystem.
