A Female In The Tech World – 5 Lessons Learnt

Guest writer Jessie Leong shares her perspective as a female working in a male-dominated ‘tech’ industry.

Little over a month ago, I hopped back onto the tech startup train. You could say I’m a bit late to the party – after all, so many of my fellow millennials are jumping ship to start their own businesses.

In the short amount of time that I’ve been the Marketing Manager at Groupr – an app that is revolutionising the way we share photos – I’ve learnt a lot about the startup scene.

Just like the new kid at school, I was ready to not completely fluff it all up before I’d even started.

So here are 5 key lessons that I’ve learnt since joining a tech startup:

There’s No Time Like The Present

Has there been a better time than now to chase our dreams? As millennials, we’re always being told that we’re striving for and wanting more. Not just for ourselves but for society. Why procrastinate further?

If you’ve got a great idea, then go for it. There’s really nothing stopping you. There will always be someone who tells you your idea is lame. Listen, take in their criticisms and then prove them wrong.

 Embrace The Startup Nature

Having worked for two companies during their startup phase before, I love the startup nature. Exhilarating, exciting and exhausting, startups aren’t for those who love a rigid routine.

Issues that you hadn’t even thought existed will come to the surface.

Or you’ll put together a watertight strategy, and then one day you wake up with a light bulb moment or with an exciting opportunity and the direction changes entirely.

Try, Try And Then Try Some More

Without sounding too much like a cliché, I spurt out the ‘if you don’t try, you’ll never know’ mantra a lot. Experiment with how you approach potential investors and sales leads.

Use a mixture of messages to get your idea across.

Swap emails for picking up the phone. The outcomes aren’t always favourable…a lot of the time it isn’t…but the 20% of the times when it is? No other feeling comes close to beating it.

Be A Team

Being surrounded by a supportive team has been so crucial to me in every job that I’ve had and there’s no place where that rings more true than in a startup.

Even if your startup mission is a solo project at the moment, seek support in your friends and family. It’ll make the journey a whole lot more enjoyable.

 It’s Not All About The Money

Working on a shoestring is almost a given in a startup phase, but don’t see it as a hindrance but a challenge. I’ve really learnt to work with my priorities, and discovered a lot of excellent….and free…. resources since starting out.

There’s pretty much something for anything. Is that latest piece of marketing software really a necessity right now? Probably not.

What are the key lessons you’ve learnt with your startup? I’d love to know – Tweet @jessie_leong

History graduate Jessie Leong has over 3 years of marketing experience, previously working in companies during their startup phase. She works in digital marketing where she’s discovered a new love for data, and is currently using her marketing skills for Groupr.