Stop asking what it’s like to be a woman in tech.
I haven’t blogged for a while. Here’s a round up of some thoughts, lessons and observations I’ve made over the last few months.
On Hiring
As a startup with limited resources you cannot afford to hire someone whose performance is a 6/10, where you are in the business you need an over performer. I have to give Paul McMahon the credit for this statement — he gave great nuggets of knowledge on how to handle my first firing, eeek.
On Networking
EVERYONE CAN OPEN A DOOR.
The one and only rule: always maintain integrity.
Never give someone a chance to say “don’t work with her because…” I’ve dealt with some right ******. But I still didn’t stoop to their level. When I had to cut ties with an advisor as we had very different visions going forward, he essentially said I have more money, contacts and experience and will blow you out the water.
I was left with a horrible feeling but I wished him well and told him I was sure he would succeed with his new endeavour. On that note, white men get so much shit in the tech scene but actually Asian men are by far THE WORST! #sorrynotsorry
You realise HOW important it is to have integrity in business (and life) when you keep hearing someone’s name in a bad light. Word spreads.
On Being A Woman In Tech
It’s not hard. Stop perpetuating the myth that it’s hard to be a woman in tech. Positive discourse please. And don’t ask what it’s like to be a woman in tech when you see one on a panel, you don’t look enlightened and it’s an unproductive and lazy question. This isn’t a personal attack on anyone, we (both men and women) have allowed it to become an acceptable question to ask.
Yes I have bad experiences but not disproportionate to what male founders go through. If anything the stuff male founders tell me, if it happened to female founders it would be seen as horrific, but they can’t cry the gender card because it’s men on men.
IT’S NOT HARD TO BE A WOMAN IN TECH. And if you’re a female founder don’t feel compelled to have to join the bandwagon and perpetuate how hard it is. It’s okay to admit you’re fine. More on this on another post.
On Self Belief
Often we say I can’t do it. Or we feel like we can’t do it.
Most of the time it’s not that we can’t do it, it’s that we can but we’re not sure of what the outcome will be.
What you’re really saying is I can do it but I’m not sure if the outcome is going to be what I want.
You CAN leave your job
You CAN apply to that role you really want
You CAN get fit
You CAN start a business
You can always take the first step and stand up to it
On Ambition
Saying you’re ambitious doesn’t make you ambitious. You got to work for it, the reality is that most people aren’t ready for the work.
Work for it. I see too many young people, including those that have passed through our startup, pass up opportunities or not make the most of an opportunity. WORK IT. You can be in an admin role, waitress at Nandos or whatever, you can work that role to become a stepping stone to something bigger and better. I don’t actually believe that you can be unemployable if you are genuinely trying.
