Did You Know: Becoming a Founder of an AI Tech Startup is easier than becoming an Engineer at an established company.
Dear Diary,
On Friday, my full time job title was “Machine Learning Engineer — Customer Success”. Today, my full time job title has become “Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO)”. As a woman in tech, I have finally stepped into a role where I will not only have a seat at the table, but I will make the final decisions. Gone are the days of having to play the game from the bottom just to have a chance of making a difference at the top. Gone are the days of company cultures that tolerate microaggressions because they are hard to fix. And gone are the days of accepting “the way things are” as justification of all things unjust. Today, I have stepped into my power with a mission to challenge inequity, foster belonging, and inspire others to do the same, ensuring that the business norms of tomorrow surpass those of today.
Now — I know these statements sound bold. Someone coming right out the gate on day one, naively claiming to fix all of society’s problems by doing it “differently”, will quickly figure out why the common decisions are made and ultimately end up making the same hard decisions as everyone else. But as naive as I may appear, I’m prepared to challenge this statement for reasons that will unfold over the coming days, months, and years. And what better way to start than with the comparison of becoming a founder and CTO to becoming any of my other engineering job titles (Machine Learning Software Engineer, Senior Computer Vision Engineer, or Machine Learning Engineer — Customer Success).
Did you know?
To assume the title of Founder and C-Suite Executive of an AI tech startup, all you have to do is say yes to an idea.
Now before you fight me on this oversimplification, let me clarify: I am talking about getting this title on your resume. We all know it takes a lot of hard work, knowledge, and determination to get from day one to a thriving, funded business in today’s world. I mean, that’s why the stereotypes of working insane hours exist. But we often forget that non-founders and non-execs work equally as hard after being employed to help the business succeed, level up in their own careers, and do meaningful work that changes the world. And yet, here’s what it looks like to add one of those jobs to your resume:
Did you know?
To assume the title of XYZ Engineer at an established company of any size, you typically have to do some form of the following:
1. Prepare your resume to speak to the people reading your application.
2. Submit dozens of applications (hundreds even) to companies around the world, hoping to get a response.
3. Get rejected by some, ghosted by most, and engaged by few. And while you wait, brush up on/practice/study for the technical interviews to come.
4. Go through *multiple* interview processes of different varieties trying to understand if you’ll be a good fit for them and if they will be a good fit for you. This will take hours of your time.
5. Eventually get to the point of receiving an offer (or multiple if you are lucky) for a position you interviewed for. Proceed through negotiations and either walk away and repeat steps 2–5 or sign the dotted line.
And for that interview process…
1. Recruiter informational round (sometimes — sometimes you get to skip this!).
2. Meet the hiring manager round, see if you fit. Maybe ask some questions if you get the time.
3. Proceed to a technical screening — usually about a 30–60 minute time period for which you solve a “simple” problem to prove your technical skills. You should be prepared for “simple”, but anything is fair game.
4. Proceed to a full day of interviews, usually consisting of anywhere from 4–6 60 minute rounds combined with behavioral, cultural, and technical evaluations. You must be prepared for anything, but hope it is within the realm of what you understand the job to be. In addition, you must be yourself through it all and maintain enough mental energy to be genuine and curious.
5. If you pass that and they still aren’t sure, you must be prepared for another round of interviews, either technical or behavioral.
6. And if you make it through all of this successfully, then and only then do you get an offer presented to you.
Baffling, right? We go through so much to secure a job like this, hoping to get promoted into higher positions or jump to other companies for career advancement. But if we just want to be at the top, all we have to do is say it is so and build it ourselves.
I was thirty years old and _years_ into my career before I figured this out.
If you’re like me wondering how we got to where we are today, why the top looks and behaves how it does, and why change isn’t happening as effectively as we’d hope, I’d argue this is evidence of why.
As a woman, I’ve always known owning a business was possible. However, to me, it was always pitched as owning a storefront, selling goods or services, and typically showcased some kind of career that was balanced or predominately female (like becoming a baker). Running something like a tech startup was never on the table. I knew it was possible because people before me have found themselves in that position. But outside of leveling up, I had no idea how to eventually get there. So today, I am reminded just how much information matters — from the actual facts to the way they are presented. If I, as a female engineer, have only realized this now, imagine how many others underrepresented in the space have yet to uncover this for themselves.
I know this will be the first of many eye-opening facts I encounter on my journey as a founder. In the spirit of making the world a better place, I will be sharing my journey with the world as it happens. By documenting the realities of building a tech startup through my own experiences, I hope to increase accessibility of information while inspiring others to learn, challenge, and grow.
With love and admiration,
Leila Kaneda
Co-Founder and CTO
she/her/hers