Reflections on Being a Female Founder • Hacker News Board

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#31

Post by renewiltord » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:37 PM UTC

umwbk9gagy wrote: post #9

renewiltord wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be that this path is not for you so you've probably done the right thing. The market isn't fair and it's up to you to exploit your advantages (unfair or fair) and overcome your disadvantages (unfair or fair). If you find that infeasible, you can't play the game.

Indeed, so I guess I'll get a job or maybe just suicide because what's the point. I don't really feel like working hard so someone else can get rich off my labour anymore.

I'm not a clinician, but you replied to my comment so I feel obligated to say this: go see a mental health professional.

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#32

Post by whotheffknows » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:38 PM UTC

I wish every time a male on HN posted an article about his struggles as a founder there was intense debate about whether males are as qualified as females or not. I guess it's just going to happen to females when they are extremely successful, and not males. Fun!

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#33

Post by quixoticaxolotl » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:39 PM UTC

ClassAndBurn wrote: post #20

Tracy was the best CEO I ever worked for. Hands down. She listened to everyone and made PlanGrid a place where everyone was empowered to make change. Her passion to solve problems was obvious and raw. She attracted people who were similarly passionate. I knew she had it harder than others when I saw one of our own VC's caller her a "little girl" while doing a fireside chat with her at PlanGrid. In spite of it all she…

Seconded. Tracy was an amazing leader my entire time at PlanGrid.

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#34

Post by BillFranklin » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:42 PM UTC

quixoticaxolotl wrote: post #29

BillFranklin wrote: post #21

This was an interesting read. Building and selling a company for $875m, that’s amazing! I was a bit confused, did the tech exec just quit without notice when they learned the CEO was pregnant? How would they be able to justify that insanity to their next employer?

I worked at PlanGrid during this event. The exec in question received an offer from one of the Big 4 at an equivalent (and possibly more senior - this was in late 2017, so memory is fuzzy) exec-level position, and simply sent word they wouldn't come into the office the next day. There was no two-week notice or polite exit interview - they just vanished. It was not common news that Tracy was pregnant at the time, so I…

Ah I see, thank you for explaining that. I misinterpreted that sentence.

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#35

Post by ameyv » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:45 PM UTC

Truly inspirational read. Keep up Tracy.

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#36

Post by renewiltord » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:45 PM UTC

whotheffknows wrote: post #15

renewiltord wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be that this path is not for you so you've probably done the right thing. The market isn't fair and it's up to you to exploit your advantages (unfair or fair) and overcome your disadvantages (unfair or fair). If you find that infeasible, you can't play the game.

But of course if a female CEO works the system and exploits it the way men does she is highlighted online for lacking morals and ethics even though plenty of men run businesses the same way all the time and are either not even noticed for doing it or otherwise glorified.

People online are insignificant. Online Peter Thiel is some sort of vampire who feeds off the lifeblood of young men and governments while suppressing the press. In real life, Peter Thiel is a respected businessman who is considered one of the archetypes of a successful entrepreneur.

In the story, there are parts she openly regrets as having optimized for appearance: returning to work so soon after having given birth. There are parts she doesn't express regret over but mentions (the miscarriage, pumping in the car instead of a mother's room and the ensuing feelings of humiliation).

There's probably a balance here but it appears that optimizing for appearance isn't of much value except when you need people to believe in your appearance: meeting investors, talking to your team. Since most people online are neither, they are not important.

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#37

Post by vntok » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:47 PM UTC

daleharvey wrote: post #25

rumanator wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If the industry was gender-biased, then that would mean you would see more female founders, not less. No, because the base population is not uniformly distributed to begin with. I've participated in interview rounds for software engineer positions where the volume of candidates was already showing a gender ratio of around 20-to-1 male/female ratio, where half the male candidates never had a single CS lesson in thei…

how many women do you think there are in the world?

Why are you talking about women in the world? The parent's argument is on the vc world, which is pretty different.

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#38

Post by satyrnein » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 6:49 PM UTC

I wish there were a clear bad guy here, but most of the hardship seems to have been caused by more diffuse social pressures. What could we have done as an industry to improve the author's experience? Maybe just having more female founders around in general (by removing any barriers) would make some of these circumstances more commonplace.

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#39

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 7:07 PM UTC

daleharvey wrote: post #25

rumanator wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If the industry was gender-biased, then that would mean you would see more female founders, not less. No, because the base population is not uniformly distributed to begin with. I've participated in interview rounds for software engineer positions where the volume of candidates was already showing a gender ratio of around 20-to-1 male/female ratio, where half the male candidates never had a single CS lesson in thei…

how many women do you think there are in the world?

[deleted]

Re: Reflections on Being a Female Founder

#40

Post by Manfredo_1 » Mon, Jun 22, 2020, 7:12 PM UTC

daleharvey wrote: post #25

rumanator wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If the industry was gender-biased, then that would mean you would see more female founders, not less. No, because the base population is not uniformly distributed to begin with. I've participated in interview rounds for software engineer positions where the volume of candidates was already showing a gender ratio of around 20-to-1 male/female ratio, where half the male candidates never had a single CS lesson in thei…

how many women do you think there are in the world?

This is a very simplistic approach. Over 90% of people killed by police are men. Does it follow that police are heavily biased against men? Over 90% of pediatricians are women. Is pediatrics heavily biased in favor of women? No, because even though men and women make up roughly 50% of the population each they make different choices. Men are much more likely to commit violent acts. Women are much more likely to go into pediatrics.