A few months ago, I was spending one of my first Fridays in the office in Envato’s Melbourne HQ; I’d recently been hired as the editor of the new Envato blog. I had claimed a spot on one of the neon green bean bag chairs, lined up in a semi-circle on the second floor of our open-plan office building. It was winter in Melbourne, so I was sporting my brand-new Envato hoodie.
I was catching up on emails – perhaps reading a favorite newsletter, the Ann Friedman Weekly – when I stumbled upon her article about ‘How to fix tech’s women problem’. The introductory line read:
The first step is, throw out the hoodie-wearing boy-genius and build a new archetype.
I read this. I looked down at my Envato hoodie. I looked up – at the circle of hoodie-clad, headphone-wearing, Macbook-typing guys next to me. I looked back down at the article. I noticed, then, that it was published in 2014. 2014! That was two years ago! And yet, here I was, reading about issues of diversity in tech that felt more relevant than ever. I simultaneously thought, has the tech industry really made any progress since then?, and, wait, should I stop wearing this hoodie? It’s really comfortable.
Here’s where I should mention that Envato is impressive in their efforts when it comes to tech and diversity, particularly as it relates to the issue of gender diversity. The CEO and leadership team are huge advocates for diversity, and our co-founder, Cyan, speaks regularly on the topic. It’s written into our company values, and we recently created a new position, ‘diversity and inclusion specialist’. We have company-wide initiatives like unconscious bias training, a fully flexible work schedule, and even a new apprentice developer program specifically for women in junior developer roles. Envato has received awards like Coolest Company for Women, and in 2014, they were the first Australian startup to release their diversity figures.
But Envato is the first to admit that there’s still a long way to go. We’re working on taking a more in-depth look at the systemic and unconscious issues that contribute to the lack of women in fields like technology and design. We’re elevating the voices of smart women in the design industry, taking a look at our diversity stats & figures for this year, and launching a new interview series about women in design.
Today, I still wear my Envato hoodie around the office – but I’m also more aware than ever of the challenges that women face in tech and design. Meanwhile, I’m sharing a list of my personal favorite articles, blogs, and podcasts about women and tech: the stories that stuck with me, the ideas I refer to regularly, and the advice that has resonated with me most.
Read:
Article: Why the ‘Women in Tech’ Problem May Actually Be a Silicon Valley Problem, from Inc.com
According to a 2015 study, Silicon Valley is a tough place to be for women in technology – and it might be best to avoid the West Coast entirely. For percentage of tech jobs filled by women, Washington, D.C. and Kansas City, Missouri held spots at the top of the list.
Obama’s Female Staffers Came Up With a Genius Strategy to Make Sure Their Voices Were Heard, from NYMag
Shine theory is the idea that successful women should work together and support each other, instead of seeing each other as rivals. Obama’s female staffers banded together and elevated each other’s ideas, using a tactic known as ‘amplification’; today, half of all White House departments are headed by women.
Why Women Don’t Apply for Jobs Unless They’re 100% Qualified, from Harvard Business Review
I’m reminded of this article every time I have an inbox full of article pitches from only men, or when we get a stack of mostly-male resumes for new positions at work. The general idea: many women tend to apply for things (jobs, promotions, career opportunities) that they’re 100% qualified (or overqualified) for, while men are more likely to send in that application, even if they don’t check all the boxes in the job description.
How we introduced Women in Tech discussions in a male team, from Label A
Approaching the topic of diversity can be difficult. This guide from Label A on their process includes gamification via bingo cards, a catwalk, and office discussions.
What Silicon Valley Thinks of Women, from Newsweek
I almost didn’t include this article in the list, because it’s harsh and detailed description of the sexism and bro-culture of Silicon Valley almost borders on the not-safe-for-work territory. But that’s the issue: for a lot of women in Silicon Valley, is it the reality of their work.
Why I Won’t Make it Past Your Careers Page, from SheNomads
Who are you trying to hire? Why might your career page not attract the talent you are looking for, or folks who empathize with them? Why are you so obsessed with ninjas?
Writer LaToya Allen’s piece about issues with the stereotypical career pages of tech companies – where free beer might be a more prominent perk than paid maternity leave – raises some good points, and it’s a good read to check against your own company’s messages around hiring.
If you think women in tech is just a pipeline problem, you haven’t been paying attention, from Tech Diversity Files
This research-heavy article looks at unconscious bias, tech culture, and the issues around pointing to things like hiring processes and education systems as the only reason for the issues around women in tech.
Listen:
The Priority Problem, from The Intern
Allison Behringer is a podcast producer stationed inside betaworks, an NYC-based startup studio. This 40-minute episode is one of the best explorations of the issue of women in tech – Allison is bold, brave, and straightforward as she interviews her coworkers, and leaders in the tech industry (like entrepreneur and technologist Anil Dash, an advocate for diversity in tech who once spent a year only retweeting women) about how to confront issues with diversity in technology.
#GirlBoss Radio
#GirlBoss is an online publication about women in entrepreneurship. It’s run by Sophia Amoruso, the founder and owner of the fastest-growing online retailer in the country, Nasty Gal. Her weekly podcast highlights conversations with ladies who are CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, and leaders in their fields.
Grace Hopper, ‘The Queen Of Code,’ Would Have Hated That Title, from NPR
A four-minute piece about Grace Hopper, the woman who played a pivotal role in the computer programming revolution.
Less Than or Equal
With over 100 conversations to date, Relay’s Less Than or Equal podcast celebrates ‘the accomplishments and contributions of geeks facing inequality in their industries’. It’s smart, and appeals to a wide range to topics in the tech industry – from writing about accessibility, to coding bootcamps, to dealing with privilege in the startup world.
Icons: Meilun and BrothersGood; feature image by lightgirl.
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