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Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

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Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#11

Post by rjzzleep »

WoodenChair wrote: post #6
dmn757 wrote: post #2

I'll go first.. Why in the world would you feel a need to make this post?

I think she pretty clearly explained why she felt a need to make the post - she feels underrepresented and also wants to prove a stereotype wrong. I'll go second... why in the world did you feel it necessary to mock her post?

go into a cpu design or fpga lectures at most universities. she doesn't just feel underrepresented. she is.

nonetheless this post imho is in the same category as i'm 15 and made a gazillion apps.

ok, you care about women? and their future in tech? go to educate parents in school for gods sake, not the people that already know that if you raise your kids to be pretty princesses, they will become pretty princesses instead of hackers.

Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#12

Post by dzink »

axaxs wrote: post #10

This would likely be more apt for reddit, which does AMAs. I respect you, but this sets a rather polluted and boring precedent. Founders not from tech hub cities, founders over 40 years old, founders who grew up poor, founders who were born outside USA, etc etc. Everyone is unique in many ways, many more interesting than race or gender.

I posted it here because I enjoy this community and I want to reduce the awkwardness of the many recent "women and tech" discussions here. I hope other female founders on HN can chime in as well.

Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#13

Post by tmsh »

Curious background and I admire you for just going for it. Just some curious questions..

a) who are some of your inspirations?

b) describe an ideal society without gender disparities. what would that look like?

Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#15

Post by dzink »

rjzzleep wrote: post #11
WoodenChair wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think she pretty clearly explained why she felt a need to make the post - she feels underrepresented and also wants to prove a stereotype wrong. I'll go second... why in the world did you feel it necessary to mock her post?

go into a cpu design or fpga lectures at most universities. she doesn't just feel underrepresented. she is. nonetheless this post imho is in the same category as i'm 15 and made a gazillion apps. ok, you care about women? and their future in tech? go to educate parents in school for gods sake, not the people that already know that if you raise your kids to be pretty princesses, they will become pretty princesses inst…

I have presented in front of teen girls at events and mentored girls individually. The tech bug catches on best anywhere between age 8 and 14 when you see a role model for something fun you can enjoy doing that is an "gateway drug to CS". At that age parents don't matter but peers do.

When I was that age, just one of my classmates mocked me for trying, but a few other fellow tinkerers and I started competing in high-school tech competitions and that brought us together. Having other doers around made it even more fun and addictive. As a teen girl I was a minority in local hacker clubs/cafes at the time, but that actually meant I was getting hit on by the boys (mildly and jokingly, and I always brushed it off to keep tinkering), not really hindered.

Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#16

Post by guard-of-terra »

axaxs wrote: post #10

This would likely be more apt for reddit, which does AMAs. I respect you, but this sets a rather polluted and boring precedent. Founders not from tech hub cities, founders over 40 years old, founders who grew up poor, founders who were born outside USA, etc etc. Everyone is unique in many ways, many more interesting than race or gender.

It seems that topic starter has all those covered except for not being over 40. Which clears the landscape a bit.

Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#17

Post by dzink »

tmsh wrote: post #13

Curious background and I admire you for just going for it. Just some curious questions.. a) who are some of your inspirations? b) describe an ideal society without gender disparities. what would that look like?

Role models really help. Seeing other women around who have been successful really helps. I think if one female tech founder produces a unicorn startup that exits above 1B, the dialog will get a lot easier. It's a matter of time.

I don't think anyone consciously hinders women (or other groups) from doing well in tech. Many cultural (advertising driven) perceptions made the "gateway drugs" to CS unfashionable for girls for many years (likely inadvertently).

In the startup world finding advisors may be a bottleneck, but hacking is the ultimate meritocracy and nobody can stop you from doing well (it is you vs the machine and you vs the problem). The numbers don't lie - if you build products that sell themselves most self-respecting investors will not say no to a solid company (whether you are purple, transgender, or from Mars).

If you know what you are doing, the challenging part may be getting into the close-knit SV networks when you are an outsider.

Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#18

Post by dmn757 »

WoodenChair wrote: post #6
dmn757 wrote: post #2

I'll go first.. Why in the world would you feel a need to make this post?

I think she pretty clearly explained why she felt a need to make the post - she feels underrepresented and also wants to prove a stereotype wrong. I'll go second... why in the world did you feel it necessary to mock her post?

I'm not mocking it.

Re: Ask HN: Female hacker-founder AMA

#20

Post by cupcake-unicorn »

dmn757 wrote: post #2

I'll go first.. Why in the world would you feel a need to make this post?

Wow, although I guess Reddit with an AMA might be a better platform, didn't expect to see Reddit like comments :/ There's a lot of posts on here about women in tech (and the lack thereof) so she thought it may be pertinent and interesting. Men are always posting about their startups, and I don't see people saying they're "just trying to call attention to themselves".
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