Early childhood education is critically important. The document discusses diversity and inclusion in the tech sector. It argues that tech companies should prioritize hiring people representative of their actual users, which would lead to more gender and racial diversity on tech teams. Currently, tech workforces are not representative of smartphone users, who are majority female. The document calls for tech leaders to value diversity over "bro culture" and stop chasing billion-dollar valuations at the expense of inclusion.
2. Ellen Pao questioned whether anything has changed for women in tech.
Early childhood education is critically important.We’ve established that it can be dangerous to work in tech
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3. Early childhood education is critically important.
We need to stop calling out these issues and start taking
action.
If the tech sector truly placed a priority on hiring actual app
users, diverse staff representation would naturally improve.
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4. Early childhood education is critically important.
“What are the company’s culture secrets? How
bad is it for women and minorities? Is anyone
managing human resources in any capacity?”
I often quiz ex-employees before taking on a new role.
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5. Early childhood education is critically important.
In Frome’s Toronto startup, the signals of a frat house company culture are
absent.
No bullying or pay inequity issues are present. She has hired early
childhood educators to make decisions about which data to include in the
daycare-focused app.
Alana is quietly building the anti-bro startup
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6. The Result?
Early childhood education is critically important.
By the time I’ve arrived at my open concept desk in the morning,
I’ve said hello to a team made up of 70% people who identify as
women, whose familial origins span from Bangladesh, China,
Philippines, Malaysia, Italy, and elsewhere.
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7. Diversity at HiMama
Early childhood education is critically important.
When a management meeting is called,
everyone who shows up at the table (other than
our CEO) is a woman.
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8. Early childhood education is critically important.
And 50% of the board of directors are
women.
Diversity at HiMama
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9. Early childhood education is critically important.
Some call Toronto, Canada the next
big startup sanctuary.
10. Early childhood education is critically important.
While we are not immune from sexism, harassment and generally
oppressive behavior, we can acknowledge the characteristics of
those not making the problem worse.
We can look to brands like Sephora, who can celebrate having
62% woman-led technology workforce, citing a strong connection
to the consumer as a reason for their success.💄
11. Early childhood education is critically important.
There aren’t enough women, people
of color or LGBTQ folks working in
this sector.
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13. Early childhood education is critically important.
Women, people of color and LGBTQ people use mobile apps and
software technology.
Maybe obvious to some, but mobile app users are not entirely
comprised of white, heterosexual men.
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14. Why don’t we place a priority on
hiring the users of our products?
Early childhood education is critically important.
Women game, chat and bank on their smartphones.
What’s baffling about the persistent “broism” trend is
that bros aren’t representative of the mobile app
consumer market.
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15. Why don’t we place a priority on hiring
the users of our products?
Early childhood education is critically important.
The Federal Reserve reported in 2016 that “53% of
smartphone owners with a bank account had used
mobile banking in the 12 months prior to the
survey.”
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16. Early childhood education is critically important.
And 75% of adult women in the U.S
use a smartphone.
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17. Early childhood education is critically important.
Yet, the tech talent I’ve seen is not even close to
representative of the consumer business market.
Forbes revealed in 2015 that the average gender diversity
ratio in tech was one-third women.💸
18. Early childhood education is critically important.
Women in technical roles at Google make up
only 20% of staff and 25% in leadership roles.
At Facebook, the number is 35% women-
identified staff globally.
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19. Early childhood education is critically important.
You know this: women use the products but
we aren’t currently building the products.
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20. Early childhood education is critically important.The disconnect comes from a (conscious or
unconscious) desire to maintain a frat house culture.
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21. Early childhood education is critically important.
The search for a unicorn, the term used for a
billion-dollar valuation, has created a heated race
to the top where winning comes at the expense of
human-centric leadership.
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22. Early childhood education is critically important.
True societal disruption and social justice are secondary to being
compared to a legendary creature whose horn is presumably
intended for none other than causing harm to others.
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23. Early childhood education is critically important.
Some are gunning to be the one with the biggest horn,
instead of just a component in a sustainable ecosystem
genuinely dedicated to easing the world’s inconveniences.
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24. Early childhood education is critically important.
The resulting culture is vicious
and self-perpetuating.
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25. Early childhood education is critically important.
Unfortunately, instead of leaving the fairy tales to the children, we
are still chasing unicorns in business and complaining that gender
diversity mandates hurt talent acquisition.
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26. Early childhood education is critically important.
Canadians startups can be the role model for diversity in tech alongside
important growth that will continue to catch the eye of important Silicon Valley
investors, and make news for things other than which beer is on tap.
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27. Early childhood education is critically important.
Canadians startups can be the role model for diversity in tech alongside
important growth that will continue to catch the eye of important Silicon Valley
investors, and make news for things other than which beer is on tap.
28. Early childhood education is critically important.
Things will improve for women when leaders stop
chasing the unicorn and start valuing the
opportunities a culturally diverse team will create.
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29. Early childhood education is critically important.
Workplaces can thrive when executives start to do
what so many claim to do, but don’t actually do.
Hire the actual users of your app.
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