I’ve been on both sides. I’ve gone from being a first-line manager, then back to a developer. Then a director, then back to a developer. Then a VP, and yes, then back to a developer – which is what I am now, a developer. One of my observations of the differences between developers and managers is how each views software schedules. Managers want schedules. They want them to show progress on the software. Sometimes their compensation is tied to major…
There is so much in the media today about sexual harassment in the workplace. It got me thinking, compared to 50-60 years ago, have things gotten any better? Have women made any progress? Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg, in an interview*, noted that when she started her career, women worked for “pin money.” Women weren’t supposed to have careers; they were to focus on marriage and raising a family. In her first job as a professor at Rutgers School of Law…
I’ve worked with many men over the years who didn’t have a degree in computer science. Not one of them ever thought they weren’t technical nor did they think they needed to prove themselves. Unlike the men I’ve known without computer science degrees, “I’m not technical” is something I heard from several women I interviewed who had over 15 years in tech. They not only ended up managing technical teams, they contributed technically too. One woman, Mary, has over 30…
“[We were] changing the world one Mac at a time. Always a thread of pushing the envelope.” This is how Marie* described how it was to work at Apple in the early days. She loved the excitement of knowing she was making a difference and being part of something that was changing the world. Marie did have challenges working with men. “There were managers that made serious attempts when hiring to not look at gender. I saw this happening more…
“Tech is changing the world. It’s nice to be at the core of that [new technology]. Not watching it, making it happen.” This quote is from one woman of over ten that I interviewed about their careers in tech. There has been much press about sexual harassment at tech companies. I wondered, “If this is always happening, why does any woman stay in tech?” I interviewed women that have been in the field more than 5 years, 10, 15, even…