Scilence S2: 60 Tech Strategy & OWN YOUR WIERD

Although my guest this week studied mechical engineering, she believes that there is no one set path into tech strategy.  She actually works in a very diverse team, where all members share a passion and genuine interest for tech.  What she has observed is that women fundamentally don’t see themselves as technologists, and therefore don’t see themselves as being in tech. 

Despite attending one of the the most prestigious universities in the world, she has occasionally been intimidated by other peoples accomplishments, forgetting to acknowledge her own.  Experiencing the negativity of comparing herself to others has reminded her that, it’s ok to be impressed by ourselves.  We should take time to feel good and appreciate ourselves.  In short she believes we should ‘own ourselves’.  Owning her weirdness, is an attitude developed early on, from her very accepting parents.  However, owning her weirdness has not meant that it hasn’t been difficult at times. 

 

My guest has never been able to be inauthentic.  Despite always wanting to be accepted, she didn’t necessarily want to fit in either.  Now she constantly evaluates whether she is happy at least 50% of the time in situations - if the answer is no, she lets the situation go.  

 

Being a female is STEM is great, apart from when she is deprived of the chance to find solutions herself.  For her, and many women, often struggling with things invites people to swoop in and help.  Often this robs us of the chance to fend for ourselves -  a missed opportunity to strengthen ones character.  Women should be allowed to fail and not be made to feel like failures.  She struggles with being either on one side or the other of the gender spectrum.  She likes beer so that she can be one of the guys, but with motherhood - you have to be mostly female.  She believes babies are the end of ones career and that women who can have it all, have come from generations of support.  Hence she stresses the importance of mentors and pushes for diversity in the workplace, because it's the right thing to do.