1 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff Mom Never told you from how stupp 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: works dot com. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: Caroline and I'm Kristen. Today we are playing for you 4 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: an interview with Otto Bernier, who is the CEO of 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: learned to code website skill Crush. And it's pretty awesome, 6 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: as I can attest because I actually took classes from 7 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: the Lovely auDA and skill Crush, and we wanted to 8 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 1: talk to her a little bit about coding because of 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: the issue of women in technology and more in general, 10 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: women in stem fields. We did a four part series 11 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: you might have heard of it on women in stem science, technology, engineering, 12 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,519 Speaker 1: and mathematics, and we wanted to dig a little bit 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: more into the t of that series. That's right because 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: in that episode focusing on women in technology, we talked 15 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: about in general, how, for instance, women earn only eighteen 16 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: percent of the computer and information science degrees and we 17 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: make up a minority of the computing professions. And it's 18 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: people like Otta, though, who are these coding evangelists who 19 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: are not only educating but also energizing women and girls 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: to get excited about coding because of all of the 21 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: potential professional benefits that come with it, because folks, if 22 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: you are interested in a growth industry sector, coding is 23 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: absolutely that. And as we mentioned in that technology podcast, 24 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: the interesting thing is in the history of computing in technology, 25 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: programming was originally considered women's work because they thought that 26 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: it was at first like a low level clerical job, 27 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: hence good for women, but it was gradually masculinized. And 28 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: now there is this massive need to get more women 29 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: and also younger girls engaged with coding because of how 30 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: many coders and programmers and developers we will need as 31 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: the Internet becomes even more a part of our mobile lives. 32 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: Right because the numbers are taking such a dive in 33 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: terms of women in these fields, in nine of all 34 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: undergraduate computer and information science bachelor's degrees went to women. Now, 35 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: according to the Department of Labor, only eighteen percent do. 36 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: And so as the basically as the coding industry, as 37 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: uh computer and information science blows up and expands, there's 38 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: gonna be all of these jobs that need to be filled. 39 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: But with the number of women in this field declining, 40 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: that's gonna leave a whole lot of empty seats, won't it. Yeah, exactly, 41 00:02:55,320 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: And um, there are right now only of computer programs 42 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,959 Speaker 1: in the United States who are women, twenty two point 43 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,799 Speaker 1: one percent who are software developers, and thirty seven percent 44 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: of whom are web developers. So obviously there is this 45 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 1: massive gender gap in computing and encoding in particular, which 46 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: is why people like autibor Near and services like skill 47 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: Crush are so crucial. And Caroline has had personal experience 48 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: with skill crushes services, which is actually how we got 49 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: in touch with Auta to begin with. Right. Yeah, I 50 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: decided that I needed a life skill another one. Why 51 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: not because I couldn't learn to juggle. So I decided 52 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: to try to learn to build a website. And I 53 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: found skill Crush. And not to gush, but Otta herself 54 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: is wonderful and the skill Crush website itself is very intuitive, 55 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: very helpful. Their program is pretty darn great. They kind 56 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: of gear themselves towards young professional women or or really 57 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: professional women of any age who feel like they just 58 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: don't have the time to learn. Yeah, and so we 59 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: wanted to talk to Auta not just about coding and 60 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: skill Crush, but also get her perspective on women in technology, 61 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: why it's so crucial that more women get involved with it, 62 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: And she also has insight into being a digital entrepreneur 63 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: as well, so we had lots to talk to Auto 64 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: about and we really appreciate her taking the time to 65 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: chat with us. Yeah, so here is our chat with Otto. 66 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: We hope you enjoy. If you could just tell us 67 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 1: who you are and what you do. My name is 68 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: Automer and I am the founder and CEO of skill Crush, 69 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: which is an online learning platform. Awesome. Well, Otta, could 70 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: you tell us a little bit about your background, both 71 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: a little bit personally and what led you into the 72 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: tech field. My first foray into technology really came when 73 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,719 Speaker 1: I was working on an online magazine and I had 74 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 1: gotten a job as the photo editor, mostly because I 75 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: had I knew how to use Photoshop, which I knew 76 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: from being a digital photography major in college, and um, 77 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: my job. It sounds fancy, but it was really just 78 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: two crop images and upload them into the content manasiment 79 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: system for the online magazine all day long, and it 80 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: was super boring and luckily I um got really good 81 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: at it, so I was able to do it in 82 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: like a third of the time that I had to 83 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: do it in, which left me a lot of time 84 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: to sort of look around and see what everyone else 85 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: was doing at this magazine. And I was really lucky 86 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: that they had stuck me. They just sort of by 87 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: chance put me in the production department, so the editorial department. 88 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: And basically what was happening was that, you know, you're 89 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: at this online magazine and there's this thing that drives 90 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: everything and it's like this like engine that keeps the 91 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: lights on um and it published as to the web 92 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: every day, and I was just I became fascinated with 93 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: like what that was, like what did it look like? 94 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: Like what like how is it that we were able 95 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: to produce this magazine? Like if we had been a 96 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 1: print magazine, like you would have like seen a big 97 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: printing press, so it would have been like shooting up papers, 98 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: but you don't have that when it's online, and you know, 99 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: and I would look at these guys who were sort 100 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: of in the corner and they were all like, you know, 101 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: curiously typing away, but I didn't know what they were 102 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: typing or what it looked like, or you know, it's 103 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: like it's like where was it, Like where was this 104 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: thing that was like you know, this the engine? And 105 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: it just became fascinated and it was and I think 106 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 1: that that sort of fascination is like part of what 107 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: it is so fun about technology, but it's also what's 108 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: really what makes it really challenging and I think really 109 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: off putting to a lot of people because it's unlike 110 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: like an engine, where you can sort of pop the 111 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,559 Speaker 1: hood you can see the car engine. When it comes 112 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: to code and technology, you can't really see anything like 113 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: it's all it all sort of you know, compiles down 114 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: into like electronical signals, and it's not something that we 115 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: can visualize and touch and feel and sort of assemble 116 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: and understand how the pieces come together. So I think 117 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: that's that. You know, that was sort of the like 118 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: where I was really because I was like, where where 119 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: is this code? Like? What is code? What does it 120 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: look like? Where does it exist? Um? Where do I 121 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: find it? How do you see it? How do you 122 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: edit it? Like? How do you know which part to edit? Like? 123 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: It was just this like huge mystery to me that 124 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: I didn't understand um, And so I basically started to 125 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: ask all those questions of you know, where is it, 126 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: what does it look like? Like, how do I see it? 127 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: How do I edit it? And um? You know, it 128 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: was really lucky that one of my managers basically took 129 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: pity on me and started answering all my questions and 130 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: started showing me coulde um and then started eventually letting 131 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: me actually like you know, write a little bit of myself. 132 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: And that was really my first introduction into the technology industry. 133 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: So how long did it take you to go from 134 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: that point of just curiosity and starting to understand what 135 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: code is to being proficient at writing it? So there's definitely, um, 136 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: there's sort of many different layers along the continuum of 137 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: you know, started like the first time I ever saw 138 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: code to like being quote unquote proficient. And one of 139 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: the things that I think that a lot of people 140 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: who haven't started to learn technology skills really like they 141 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: think that it's um going to take a really long 142 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: time to get to the point where they have practice 143 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: like knowledge that's good enough to be practical and useful 144 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: to them. So honestly, like probably within like you know, 145 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess like from when I started to 146 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: learn how to write code at all to when I 147 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: started putting that that those learnings into practice was like 148 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: really only a couple of days. At that point. I 149 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: couldn't have built a website from scratch, but I could edit, 150 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: and um, you know, the magazine publish all these email newsletters, 151 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: and so what I was doing was sort of editing 152 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: the content in email newsletters, um, and really getting paid 153 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: to learn. And it was immediately useful, like it just 154 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: like the Italian is a little bit of knowledge was 155 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: super useful in terms of my understanding. Like I remember, 156 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: I had this manager who kept yelling at me because 157 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: I kept mean the image files incorrectly. And then finally, 158 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: and she kept telling me this, and I kept forgetting 159 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: and I kept you know, naming them incorrectly again, and 160 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: she looked being mad at me, and finally one day 161 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: she explained to me that the reason was because the 162 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: code had the image file names written very specifically, and 163 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: so if I didn't write them in the same exact way, 164 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: it wouldn't find the image and so that she was 165 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: having to go back and rename all my image files. 166 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 1: And it was such a revelation to me because I 167 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: was like, oh, now I get it, Like You've given 168 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: me a reason for why this is useful, and I 169 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: feel like that's that's the kind of thing that kept happening. 170 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:36,839 Speaker 1: It was like all of a sudden I started to 171 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: understand these rules, like I started to get why you 172 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:42,719 Speaker 1: had to name things in a certain way and why 173 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: you had to organize them in a certain way, because 174 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,200 Speaker 1: I started to understand what how things were organized on 175 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: the inside and why it really mattered those decisions. And 176 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: so even the tiniest little bit of knowledge was super usual, 177 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: like from day one, and then um, when I started 178 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,079 Speaker 1: to actually learn how to build websites from scratch, it 179 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 1: probably took like a couple of weeks to where it 180 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: was really useful information. Um, you kind of have to 181 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: play around with it, I think for a while and 182 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: get your brop you head around it. But um, honestly, 183 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: probably than a month I had built a website and 184 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: was talking my services to other people, and not for 185 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: a lot of money, granted. But one thing I told 186 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,400 Speaker 1: my students over Nuver again is that you know, like 187 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 1: the number, like the goal number one through like nine 188 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:26,839 Speaker 1: is get it to work, and everything else after that 189 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: is just the cherry on the top. A month is 190 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: so fast too. But it's a lot faster than I 191 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: thought you were going to say. Yeah, I mean, look 192 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: like it's not like I was like some coding like 193 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: wonder kid with a don't, but I had enough knowledge 194 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: to take advantage of to be able to actually do 195 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: something that was useful and that I can show for myself. Well, 196 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: So at what point did you go from you know, 197 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: building website and working at this magazine to creating the 198 00:10:55,000 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: startups plural that you created? So, um, I I worked 199 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: at the online magazine, and then I worked at a 200 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: design agency, and then I was unemployed for a while. 201 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: So it took probably like from the time when I 202 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 1: first started to understand all the technology stuff um Adobin 203 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: magazine to when I actually started the company was about 204 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: two years the first company, and the first company was 205 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 1: the design consultancy, so we basically designed and built websites 206 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: mostly produce organizations. UM. So that took about two years, 207 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: and that was sort of that came on the heels 208 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: of sort of about a year and a half of 209 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: freelance work for me. So I had been working for 210 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: clients freelance on the side UM while I had a 211 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,559 Speaker 1: full time job. And then after about a year or 212 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: a year and a half of that, I decided took 213 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: a full time and you know, and it wasn't at 214 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: the time, like I didn't really think that I was 215 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: starting a company. I just thought I was kind of 216 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:55,680 Speaker 1: going to expand my freelance career um, and it largely 217 00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: just came out of a lack of other options. Just great, 218 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: Like I you know, like I have, so much of 219 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: my career has been just a reaction to like what's 220 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:07,440 Speaker 1: been going on in the economy and sort of the 221 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: lack of really interesting and exciting opportunities. So um, you know, 222 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: I've created my own opportunities. And what's really amazing is 223 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: that because I had these technical skills, I've really been 224 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: able to do that successfully. I think one of the 225 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: coolest things too, about your career path is how you're 226 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: now taking what you learned and kind of stumbled on 227 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: and are now empowering other women in particular with it. 228 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: And so if you could just talk a little bit 229 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: about that idea for skill Crush and why make it 230 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: focused on women in particular? Sure, So, I mean, let 231 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: me first just talk about like what the inspiration for 232 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: skill Crush was. I had a really conversation with the 233 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 1: friend of mine about is actually just yesterday which I 234 00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: will tell you about, which is I was sort of 235 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: describing to her, like why I think it's so important 236 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: that people learn digital technical skills and what you have 237 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: to gain from it. And we were sort of laughing 238 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: because it was it's kind of like, I think it's 239 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: kind of this opportunity that everyone has at this moment 240 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: right now just kind of cut the line, like we're 241 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: in this moment where like all like everything is in 242 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,559 Speaker 1: a state of enormous flux because um, things are changing 243 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 1: so rapidly and it's having such an enormous impact on 244 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: every industry. And like for me, like I really saw 245 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: this play out in the media industry, but it's now 246 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: starting to play out in education and healthcare and all 247 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: these different fields. And what I saw, you know, in 248 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: two thousand was that if I was willing to like 249 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,679 Speaker 1: think about media from a technical perspective, I really got 250 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: to cut the line. Like I got to go from 251 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: being you know, this like little peon who was like 252 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: begging some editor to publish me to um, you know, 253 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,719 Speaker 1: just like opportunities just like doors were flying open like 254 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: all of a sudden. I was working for profiblok on 255 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: the New York Times, the huffing the post and building 256 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: them web app locations, um. And that was that really 257 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: happened in the matter of just like a year, a 258 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: year and a half, and it was entirely just because 259 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: there was there's such an enormous knee for people who 260 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,199 Speaker 1: are technically capable in these fields, and there's such a 261 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: lack of qualified candidates. And the thing is, though, this 262 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: isn't an issue of like you can cut the line 263 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 1: and cut in front of a bunch of people, Like 264 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: there is no lack of opportunity, Like it's like everyone 265 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 1: can cut the line. Like everyone can go from kind 266 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: of like you know, slowly climbing some corporate ladder to um, 267 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: really like getting you know, really exciting more seeing your 268 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: positions where they get a lot of power just because um, 269 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: it's just because it's just it's like the wild West, 270 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: and nobody really understands what's going on, so anyone who 271 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: does understand what's going on has such an advantage. UM. 272 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: And the thing that I was seeing, you know, in 273 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: these companies, was that the people who seem to sort 274 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: of see that and see the opportunity and really be 275 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: taking advantage of it, we're just proportionately men. And it's 276 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: not that women aren't really insightful and can't see that 277 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: kind of thing, but for whatever combination of reasons, I 278 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: think that women have been taught that technology and science 279 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: and math and all those fields are um, you know, 280 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: difficult and scary and boring and non creative and um 281 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: you know, like involved, like I think with computer science, 282 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: and I think that women, a lot of us women 283 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: have internalized that computer science means like you know, robots 284 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: and sitting in basement by yourself, being smelly, um, not 285 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: talking to anyone for days at a time, like you know, 286 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 1: typing ones and zeros, which is not which you know 287 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: may have been what it looked like at one point 288 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: in time, but at this point in time, when when 289 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: when technology and the digital spaces like is growing so 290 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: rapidly and there's so much happening like that isn't at 291 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: all the kings that it's incredibly creative, it's incredibly forward thinking. 292 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 1: It's about thinking about really constructively and interesting you know, 293 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: world problems and figuring out how to solve them with technology. Um, 294 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,480 Speaker 1: it's really about making of all the better place. It's 295 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: about Yeah, I mean, I think it's it's like everything 296 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: one would normally hope for and like an exciting growing career, 297 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: and um, unfortunately, I think women are just held back 298 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: by this kind of cultural myth that we have internalized, 299 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: and I just thought that was I just was watching 300 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,440 Speaker 1: it play out in these companies and it was really unfortunate. 301 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: And the truth this is that women still make less 302 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: than men on average. Um what's exciting is that that 303 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: gap is much much smaller in technology. But at the 304 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: same time, like, if women don't take advantage of this 305 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: opportunity now and sort of get in on their ground floor, 306 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: like we have a lot to lose. And so that's 307 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: kind of where my mission for scille Fresh comes from. 308 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: Like it's it's not the skill pressure is exclusively for women, 309 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: but um, I just sort of looked at the competitive 310 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: landscape and saw that there were quite a few sites 311 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: who were, you know, sort of teaching these skills and 312 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: talking about this opportunity to people, but their audiences were 313 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: overwhelmingly male. And I just felt that, you know, someone 314 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: has to sort of sing the siren song to the ladies, 315 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: and so that this is my personal uncle. I like 316 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: that the sirens song of of lady coders. Yeah, it's 317 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: not even you know, it's about being a coder, but 318 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: it's also not necessarily being a coder. Ray it's just 319 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 1: about understanding what this all looks like like what is 320 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:12,400 Speaker 1: this engine? What does it look like? It doesn't mean 321 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 1: you literally have to be dissembling and putting it back together, 322 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: although I think that you should have enough skills that 323 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: should you end up, you know, like stranded on the 324 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: side of a road at two a up on the 325 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: Internet Highway, um, that you can if you have to. 326 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,919 Speaker 1: But um, it's really just about like understanding how this 327 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: all comes together from like a like a really like 328 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 1: fundamental perspective and and not like a sexual perspective. Like 329 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: it's not about you know, a website quote unquote, it's 330 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: about like, okay, a server is like you know, you know, 331 00:17:43,119 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: it's in this place, and this is how it connects, 332 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: and these are the programming languages that use it, and 333 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:50,160 Speaker 1: I know you know how to hire someone to write 334 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: that programming language, and I know how to identify a 335 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: bug if there's a bug, and all of that well. Um. 336 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 1: In our Women in Stem series, you know, we talked 337 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: about startups versus more established, older corporate companies and how 338 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 1: those environments can kind of depend on the people who 339 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 1: work there. And one of the things that we touched 340 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: on was the difference in how welcoming or not welcoming 341 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 1: those environments can be for women. And so you know, 342 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: as as a woman who jumped in there into the 343 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: startup universe, what do you think of you know, how 344 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: it is out there for women in that in that arena. Yeah, 345 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: So this is a really an interesting question because I 346 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: think that the startup scene has like a proposation of 347 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: being very sort of fatty and you know, beer pawing 348 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: and you know, video games from late night and all 349 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 1: bed that is absolutely part of it. But what the 350 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,360 Speaker 1: benefit of the startup scene is that it's being created 351 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: as we speak, and so there's a lot more opportunity 352 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:50,440 Speaker 1: to sort of you know, come in with a fresh 353 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 1: perspective and really implement that. And so what's interesting is 354 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: that although you know, most companies are started, most sort 355 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,040 Speaker 1: of high growth tech companies are started by men, and 356 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,360 Speaker 1: most BC friending goes to men, and there's a lot 357 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: of sort of inequalities in that space. Um. You know, 358 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 1: the place where women really do the worst is actually 359 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: on technical teams in large corporations. Um. And that's actually 360 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 1: where you see the worst gender ratios. And I think 361 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:17,479 Speaker 1: that has to do with the fact that those are 362 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: sort of very um, old school places that have a 363 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: very old school mentality that is very not friendly to 364 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: women and isn't able to change quickly. But what's great 365 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: about startups is that, yes, there are the startups where 366 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 1: it is a very masculine culture, but there are also 367 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: startups that are working really hard to attract women to 368 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: their companies, and there's just in general, Like I think 369 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, in this moment of creation, you 370 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: have a lot more opportunity to create sort of the 371 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: new reality or what you want to see. Um, So 372 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: I think that, you know, I think that although like 373 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: I said, like there are sort of weird gender n 374 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: with the play out in the startup seeing like the 375 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,159 Speaker 1: benefit you have if you create your own company is 376 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: that you get to make it whatever you want to be. 377 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,959 Speaker 1: So um, in my experience, like you know, with my 378 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: own like I think about like the clients I've worked with, 379 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:06,919 Speaker 1: Like I just have had so much freedom and flexibility. 380 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 1: So if I didn't like a client, you fire them. 381 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:11,239 Speaker 1: That was like a great moment for us when we 382 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: fired our first client. Um, it was weird and counterintuitive, 383 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:17,960 Speaker 1: but it's fantastic. You know, you can make those sorts 384 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 1: of choices that like, you know, if you're working at 385 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 1: a big company, like you can't decide to fire the 386 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: client because they're sexually harassing, for example, like that's not 387 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: an option for you, or if it is in the option, 388 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: you know you have to go through like a hundred 389 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: layers of bureucucy to accomplish something like that. But in 390 00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: the startup you don't. You can make that decision. So 391 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: I think that there is a lot of reason for 392 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 1: women for like, the startup seemed to be a really 393 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: really friendly place for women, and I think it's just 394 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: about women sort of entering it and mass and making 395 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: sure that that happens. Um. Well, I know that you 396 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: were part of a PBS video talking about women in tech, 397 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 1: and I want to crib one of the questions that 398 00:20:55,320 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: they asked you because it's a fantastic question. Um And 399 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: they wanted to know how you thought that the world 400 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: would change with more women in technology if I'm getting 401 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: that correct, So, so, how will the world change? Yeah? 402 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: I love this question. Um. So, I think like one 403 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: of the problems I see in the technology industry right now, 404 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,239 Speaker 1: and this is something that I hope to combat with 405 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: skill Crush, is that there is an over fetishization of 406 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,920 Speaker 1: technical skills and sort of technology for the sake of technology, 407 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: And so I think there's, um, you know, there is 408 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: a little bit of the cult of the developer, you know, 409 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 1: like the Rooming Ninja and the rock Star and like 410 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,360 Speaker 1: all this kind of like oh, they're so good at code, um, 411 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: and you have people sort of spending on all this 412 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 1: time and energy and money, um, you know, perfecting these 413 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: technological beats, but that are effectively solving problems that nobody 414 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 1: really has right. So, yes, like the code is really 415 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 1: beautifully written and it runs really fast, but like, you know, 416 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: who needs another photo sharing app or what have you. 417 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: And so I think there's a lot of energy that 418 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,679 Speaker 1: and talent that's sort of being wasted being applied to 419 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: something that isn't really worthwhile. And um, I don't think 420 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: that there are I wouldn't want to say that, like 421 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: men are incapable of understanding like what is a worthwhile 422 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,680 Speaker 1: pursuit or worthwhile use of their time or or anything 423 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 1: like that. But I think that women in general tend 424 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: to have a slightly better sense of like what are 425 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,680 Speaker 1: real problems that really need solving and what are problems 426 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: that are kind of nice to have and I think 427 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: that in general, you know, what happens when you have 428 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: an industry where, um, you know, one group really dominates 429 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: is that you just have kind of like you have 430 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: group think, right, and you have like blind spots that 431 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,040 Speaker 1: they can't help but have. And so one of the 432 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,879 Speaker 1: opportunities with you know, women coming into TACH is that 433 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: they can really start to expand the conversation and start 434 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: to think about um, you know, issues that maybe the 435 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 1: people who are currently in the tech community just like 436 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,880 Speaker 1: aren't even aware of that can be solved with technological 437 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:54,640 Speaker 1: solutions and really, um, I think you know, my friend 438 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: says like, it's like, let's solve bigger problems. And I 439 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: think that one of the great things that we will 440 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 1: see as this industry diverse advise is that I think 441 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,359 Speaker 1: that the um, you know, the impact it will have 442 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: will be much much greater, and I think that it 443 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: will start to solve a much more converse out of problems. 444 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: And I think it will really um you know, I 445 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: think I really do believe that I can really make 446 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: the world a better place and um and I think 447 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: that women will play a big role in that. We're 448 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: wondering how your feminist perspective, How do you think feminism 449 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,880 Speaker 1: and gender influence your professional work in particular? So, I think, 450 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: I mean feminism it's like my religion, right, Like, I 451 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: think feminism affects everything I do, um in terms of 452 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: how it obviously, you know, feminism has obviously played a 453 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,120 Speaker 1: huge role in my thinking about skill crash and sort 454 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: of identifying the indequalities that are at play in the 455 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: technology industry and then thinking constructively about ways to solve them, 456 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,280 Speaker 1: you know, for me, like I know that as a teenager, 457 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: the things that made such a big difference in my 458 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: life and sort of like you know, it made me 459 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: so happy, made me feel like there was hope in 460 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: the world. Um were I would? You know, we're a 461 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,360 Speaker 1: lot of sort of the interesting and sort of at 462 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: their work by a different feminists that came before me. 463 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: And a really good example of this is girl dot com, 464 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 1: which was a you know, supposed to be like an 465 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,360 Speaker 1: online web portal for teenage girls and um, I actually 466 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:19,920 Speaker 1: didn't ever or I didn't see the web page until 467 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,240 Speaker 1: much later, but they published a book called Deal with It, 468 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,880 Speaker 1: and it's just like the most hilarious take on like, 469 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,880 Speaker 1: you know, puberty and your period and your boobs and 470 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: sex that has ever been created. And it's this amazing 471 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 1: book that has all these totally ridiculous illustrations in it, 472 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:39,360 Speaker 1: um that are really super explicit and like like kind 473 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: of X rated, but like you know, and like the 474 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 1: way that it is appropriate for you know, educational quote 475 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,480 Speaker 1: quote educational book. And it just was like, you know, 476 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 1: my thirteen year old self was like, oh, thank God, 477 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: someone understands me, because like, I just want to know 478 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,199 Speaker 1: what all this stuff is. But I wanted to be 479 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: sort of you know, given to me in in finding 480 00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: crazy colors and like wacky way, like you don't want 481 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: to you don't want to look at those clinical like 482 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: you know, this is how sex happens books. Um. And 483 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 1: it was just so inspiring and I feel like it's 484 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: basically inspired everything I've done since and um, and that's 485 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: including Skill Crash. So I just think that, you know, 486 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: like what I'm trying to do is say, like I 487 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: think that there is like it's like there's these technology 488 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,919 Speaker 1: skills and then there's like lots of cool things happening 489 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,960 Speaker 1: in the world, and there aren't enough people who are 490 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: sort of you know, building the bridge between the two 491 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: that are explaining like, here's how you can take these 492 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: technology concepts and skills and apply them to like real 493 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 1: world problems that are really um useful and exciting and 494 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: that will you will care about in your life. And UM, 495 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: I know that that doesn't sound like a feminist pursue, 496 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: but for me, it's all about thinking, like, here's this 497 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: group of women who I know who are really intelligent 498 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: and smart and doing these really exciting things, but they're 499 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 1: not taking advantage of these skills that are available to them, 500 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,040 Speaker 1: that really have the ability to like be like rocket fuel, 501 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: you know, to their careers and their work. And so 502 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: for me, it's all thinking, like, how do I bridge 503 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 1: that gap in a way that's gonna speak to that 504 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 1: audience specifically, because that is an audience that I'm really 505 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 1: excited about, you know, empowering these skills, um, and that 506 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: is entirely a feminist from my perspective. And I also 507 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: just believe in, you know, laughing. So that's where the 508 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: comedy comes in, and I try to try to make 509 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: it funny. I don't know if it actually is, but 510 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,439 Speaker 1: I think there's such an intersection though, of feminism today 511 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 1: and technology, because over and over and over again with 512 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: the podcast. It circles back to themes of either activist 513 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: communities that spark up online like uh you know formerly um, 514 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:41,439 Speaker 1: like LGBTQ communities that have found each other online. All 515 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: of these initiatives for girls and women happening online. This 516 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 1: is how we're talking to each other, this is how 517 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: we're learning that. Oh, other people are experiencing these kinds 518 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: of things as well. And I think it's so powerful, 519 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,639 Speaker 1: and it's so much fueled by technology, you know, And 520 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 1: I just I mean, and I think that's amazing about 521 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: technology is it just opens up a world. I mean 522 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: it just like, Okay, so one of the things that 523 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: I remember reading Bitch magazine there was like it was 524 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: like chat rooms for like paraplegic like lesbian feminists, and 525 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: I was like, thank god, they have a place finally, 526 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: you know, like only the Internet could make that possible. Um. 527 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 1: But you know this, I mean, I we worked for 528 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: years with a guy who was paralyzed from the neck 529 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: down and was our developer, and it's just it's just 530 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: amazing to see what the Internet is able to enable 531 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: people to do. So people who previously would have had 532 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:34,280 Speaker 1: such a difficult time being employed and sort of being 533 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: able to have their voice be heard, can participate in 534 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,479 Speaker 1: these conversations. And you're right, like you can connect with 535 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: people from I mean like like cool fresh we connect 536 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: with like you know, crazy Zamy coding feminists in Australia 537 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,360 Speaker 1: and like how awesome is that? Like I don't you know. 538 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: So it's just it really does it. It just expands 539 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: your ability to communicate and commune with people, um in 540 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: this really terrible way. It was interesting to see because 541 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,119 Speaker 1: um as Auta knows, I took the skill Crush class 542 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: and it was interesting to see as a student, like 543 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,719 Speaker 1: the different types of women who were communicating with one another. 544 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,879 Speaker 1: You know, they were taking coding classes for all different reasons. 545 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: They were all different ages, they were from all over 546 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: the place, and it was actually really welcoming and it 547 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,920 Speaker 1: was really welcoming and funny and lighthearted environment to learn 548 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: code in. Yeah. I mean, that's the thing is that 549 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 1: like there's just there's no reason why it has to 550 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:28,399 Speaker 1: be like dark and not friendly, right, But unfortunately a 551 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,639 Speaker 1: lot of the community and the stuff that's been built 552 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: has been that and I think that people take like 553 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: people sort of make the leap that that is because 554 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 1: it is that way, Like that technology sort of like 555 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: inherently is you know, dark and scary and technical or whatever. 556 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: But I don't think so. I think that just has 557 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 1: to do with the personality of a group of people 558 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 1: who sort of were the first of doctors and that 559 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,080 Speaker 1: and their personality has been kind of like imprinted on 560 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: technology writ large. And I think that, um, that is 561 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: not sustainable. It's not it's not functional. As technology becomes 562 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: a big and bigger industry and it becomes more and 563 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: more important, and so you know, like the way I 564 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 1: think about skill crashes, that like this stuff has to 565 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: go mainstream someday, like it's really good, like for in 566 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: order for the American economy not to like crumble and 567 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: fall off into like you know, half into the Pacific 568 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 1: and happen to the Atlantic. Um, it's gonna happen. Like 569 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: people are gonna have to understand what the hell is 570 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: going on, and they're not going to be able to 571 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: access the current materials to learn that information. So you know, 572 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,080 Speaker 1: so we need sort of this like big upswelling of 573 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: people who are able to kind of translate things into 574 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 1: a more friendly, inviting, fun kind of material that people 575 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: can learn from. Well, I do know though that we 576 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: have a lot of younger listeners as well, and girls 577 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: learning how to code is something that comes up obviously 578 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: a lot in this conversation about women in stems. So 579 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: if we do have middle school, high school girls who 580 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: are listening, I mean skill crush something that they could 581 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: hop onto as well and start learning. I mean, is 582 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 1: or is there sort of a age minimum there's I 583 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: think you know, legally it has to be like thirteen 584 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,239 Speaker 1: or you have to have a parents for mashion. So 585 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: let me say that, um No, I don't think that 586 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: there is an age my amum, or an age maximum. 587 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: I mean, we've had people as young as twelve with 588 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,479 Speaker 1: her mother's permission, and as old as sixty six. As 589 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: far as I know, they may have been even older, 590 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: but they didn't just tell me. Um. I do really 591 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: believe that skill fresh you can have a really broad appeal. Um. 592 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 1: You know, I think that there are also like there's 593 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: tons and tons of resources. There's tons of stuff like 594 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 1: better is more cured towards kids, so um, you know 595 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: sort of there's this programming which is called scratch that's 596 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: very visual all that is cured towards kids. Um, there's 597 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 1: Daisy Dinosaur, which is an iPad app that some friends 598 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: of mine make. That's really amazing. That's for an even 599 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: younger group of kids. UM. I would say, like the 600 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: one piece of the vices I'd like to give younger 601 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: women who are listening, UM, is that you have to 602 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 1: remember when it comes to coding, that it doesn't matter 603 00:30:56,960 --> 00:30:59,479 Speaker 1: how long it takes you or how difficult you find it. 604 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: It's just about out if you're able to do it. 605 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 1: Like if you're able to build a website, it doesn't 606 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: matter if it takes you a week or a month 607 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: or a year. Um. The only hum that matters is 608 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:09,479 Speaker 1: that you're able to do it. So it's really important 609 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: not to get discouraged and not to feel like because 610 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,720 Speaker 1: it's taking you longer than someone else, that you're bad 611 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: at it, or that you're not meant for this. Um. 612 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 1: None of those things actually matter. And UM, it's really 613 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: all just about finding, you know, how it fits into 614 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:25,600 Speaker 1: your life and how you can have fun with it 615 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: and figuring it out. Yeah. Well, um, thank you again 616 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: for coming on. Is there any any parting words that 617 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: you would give to listeners of all ages about either 618 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:39,479 Speaker 1: women in tech or coding skill crush anything like that? 619 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: Any any final myth busting about women in technology. Um, 620 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: you know, in terms of myth busting, like the number 621 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 1: one concerned I hear from people or that then it's 622 00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 1: sort of the top level concerns I always hear from 623 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:52,200 Speaker 1: people is that they think they're too old, too busier, 624 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: too I think actually stupid is the right way to 625 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: put it. But they sort of like don't think that 626 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: they have the technical chops to do it. Um. And 627 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: you know, first thing is that coding is not mathematical, 628 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: So people have this idea that there's a lot of 629 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: math involved. So Caroline, you tell us like, was there 630 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: a lot of math involved? Was still crush? No, not 631 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: that I was aware of. You're hiding him from you. Now, Yeah, 632 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: there's not a lot of math involved. If it is, 633 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 1: it's it's simple sort of arithmetic and you know, long 634 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: division things like that. But the computer does it all 635 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: for you. You You just need to be able to set 636 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: up the the equations. Um. There is no age limit. 637 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: So we have had women's all those sixty six and 638 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: they have done great in the program. And in terms 639 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: of being too busy, the thing is that you know 640 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: you very well, maybe the very balilously person and I 641 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 1: can't really speak to that, but even just a little 642 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: bit of knowledge can make such a big difference. So 643 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: I really encourage you to take whatever time you have 644 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 1: and learn what you can in that time and then 645 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: otherwise just like to like repeat like like the importance 646 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: of the web and the Internet is only going to 647 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:58,360 Speaker 1: grow like it's not. This is like, you know, there's 648 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: no risk to you, you know, sort of like you know, 649 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: putting a lot of time resources into this and that 650 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 1: to not pay off like it's going to pay off hugely, 651 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:11,239 Speaker 1: and um, the opportunity you know, if you look at 652 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: so we put out this info graphic that was about 653 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 1: the short fall in UM it's basically like the number 654 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: of open positions that they project. Um. Yes, by the 655 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: year they project that there's going to be over a 656 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 1: million open jobs in being technology fields, and they project 657 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: that there will only be about three thousand people with 658 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 1: computer science degrees to fill those jobs. So that means 659 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: that there's a shortfall of about you know, seven positions 660 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,160 Speaker 1: that are gonna be open that won't have anyone who's 661 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: sort of traditionally qualified to fill those those positions. And 662 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 1: what what that means is that there's a huge opportunity 663 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 1: for people to fill those positions. Um. And by and large, 664 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: you know, people in the technology fields make around double 665 00:33:55,080 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 1: the national average for salaries, so this is it's more money. Um. 666 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: Technolo oology companies were most likely to allow people to 667 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: work remotely and have flessible work schedules. Um, there's a 668 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 1: huge freelance market for people who have technology skills, which 669 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: means you have a lot more autonomy and fossibility to 670 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:16,279 Speaker 1: a career like I just there's so much opportunity, there's 671 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,480 Speaker 1: so much money, there's so much freedom, there's so much creativity, 672 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:21,879 Speaker 1: there's so much flexibility available in this market. And if 673 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: you want to be more employable, if you want to 674 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:25,400 Speaker 1: make more money, if you want to have more control 675 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 1: over your career, like, this is really the industry to 676 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 1: get into. And um, these skills are totally learnable and hey, 677 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 1: you've got what seven six or seven years until so 678 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:40,840 Speaker 1: they should be enough time. Yeah. I can build a 679 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:42,960 Speaker 1: website or two in six years. Yeah, we can be 680 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: coding podcasters, code as we podcast Yeah. Yeah, that'll don't 681 00:34:48,080 --> 00:34:51,239 Speaker 1: really get us in the door, I'm sure. Um, well, 682 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,879 Speaker 1: this has been great, AUTA, thanks so much. Yeah, thanks 683 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,399 Speaker 1: for talking to us. Can you, um let people know 684 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 1: where they can find out more about you about skill Crush. 685 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:04,240 Speaker 1: Pop out to our website. It's skill crush dot com, 686 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: um s k I L c r U s h 687 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,360 Speaker 1: um you know side to make sure to decide it 688 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,520 Speaker 1: for our ten date email boot camp. It's sort of 689 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:15,319 Speaker 1: our you know, ten day quickly do it in five 690 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:17,880 Speaker 1: minutes a day. Learn all the important technical terms that 691 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 1: you'll that you need to know so that you understand 692 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: what you're choosing between. And it's a great um I 693 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,759 Speaker 1: think primary introduction to everything that is the way great. Well, 694 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: thank you so much, appreciate it. Thank you so again. 695 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:35,719 Speaker 1: We want to thank Otto Bernier, founder and CEO of 696 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 1: skill Crush, so much for taking the time to talk 697 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:44,399 Speaker 1: with us about her journey into coding. For me, it's 698 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 1: inspirational to hear about entrepreneurial women like her who are 699 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:53,399 Speaker 1: really forging the way for other women, helping us all out. Yeah, 700 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: I mean, I think she's a great example of somebody 701 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,440 Speaker 1: who really not sound cheesy, but really took the initiative. 702 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 1: You know, she was her career half was going in 703 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: one direction. She was seeing that the economy was you know, crumbling, 704 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: and she really just took the reins of her own 705 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:09,799 Speaker 1: future in her own career and made it into what 706 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:11,799 Speaker 1: she wanted it to be. Yeah, and we should also 707 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 1: mention that skill Crush is part of an entire community 708 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: of coding organizations like Girls who Code, Women Code dot Org, 709 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 1: and Black Girls Code that are specifically designed to train 710 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 1: up female coders. So it's really neat to see how 711 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: other women like Otta are reaching out to girls and 712 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 1: women to help fill that technology gender gap. And I 713 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:38,879 Speaker 1: hope that we have some coders and programmers and web 714 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: developers listening right now because we'd love to hear from 715 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,640 Speaker 1: you as well. Mom Stuff at discovery dot com is 716 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:50,360 Speaker 1: where you can send your letters if you have any insight. 717 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:54,200 Speaker 1: Have you ever been a female coder on a team? 718 00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:56,800 Speaker 1: What was it like where you were you the lone woman? 719 00:36:56,920 --> 00:37:00,600 Speaker 1: There often anecdotes about that, but with the work that 720 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 1: Atta and other people are doing, the lone female coder 721 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:08,680 Speaker 1: will hopefully be an anecdote of a bygone tech era. 722 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,959 Speaker 1: So right to us mom Stuff at discovery dot com. 723 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 1: You can tweet us at Mom's Stuff podcast and find 724 00:37:15,239 --> 00:37:18,000 Speaker 1: us on Facebook and leave us a message there. And 725 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 1: we've got a couple of messages to share with you 726 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 1: when we come right back from a quick break and 727 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 1: now back to our letters. So we've got a couple 728 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,280 Speaker 1: of letters here to share from our episode on child Prodigies, 729 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:36,480 Speaker 1: and we have a letter here from Megan. She writes, Hi, ladies, 730 00:37:36,880 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: I love your episode on child Prodigies and I had 731 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,600 Speaker 1: so much to say about it. I'm fifteen, a high 732 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: school sophomore, and while I wasn't a child prodigy, I 733 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:49,120 Speaker 1: grew up in the enrichment and gifted programs my school offered. 734 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:51,920 Speaker 1: You mentioned the stress that comes with the gifted label, 735 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 1: and I certainly can attest to that. There is a 736 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:58,280 Speaker 1: certain expectation that comes with being in those programs. For example, 737 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:00,799 Speaker 1: students in my school had to have at least an 738 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:04,240 Speaker 1: eighty five average, and it can be very overwhelming. There's 739 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 1: also the expectation that you should be the smartest student, 740 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 1: no matter what class you're in, and to help the 741 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,920 Speaker 1: other students comprehend the subject. Looking back, it seems pretty 742 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,120 Speaker 1: damaging to make a twelve year old field dumb for 743 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:18,200 Speaker 1: not pushing themselves to understand material two or three grade 744 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:22,440 Speaker 1: levels above them. However, most of my peers, including myself, 745 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:25,040 Speaker 1: were bored with regular classes, and we're thankful for the 746 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:29,960 Speaker 1: challenge that the gifted programs presented. So thanks for that insight, Megan, 747 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:34,120 Speaker 1: and good luck making those grades. That is a lot 748 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: to put on a younger person, but it sounds like 749 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: you're doing great. Okay. I have a letter here from Amanda. 750 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 1: She says, I'm sorry to say I was no prodigy, 751 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: but with an average i Q of one forty one, 752 00:38:45,640 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 1: I qualified as genius and was immediately sequestered off into 753 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:52,040 Speaker 1: gifted classes for grade three through twelve. Just the year before. 754 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:54,319 Speaker 1: In my second grade class, my teacher told my mom 755 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:56,279 Speaker 1: she thought I needed to be in special Ed because 756 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,880 Speaker 1: I never talked and didn't do my class work. Surprise, 757 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,719 Speaker 1: I was bored. Now that I'm a mom, I will 758 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 1: admit that I do expect more from my children than 759 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: those of others. But it's also very tricky because I 760 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:08,200 Speaker 1: know what pitfalls there are and want to help them 761 00:39:08,239 --> 00:39:11,320 Speaker 1: avoid them. For example, I was tucked awayne gifted classes 762 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:13,279 Speaker 1: so long that when I finally took a j R. O. 763 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 1: T C class my freshman year of high school, I 764 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 1: blurted out, you don't know how to spell that. My 765 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,160 Speaker 1: little brother just learned that in fourth grade. When my 766 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 1: squad leader asked how to spell something. Needless to say, 767 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 1: I had never learned how to be patient and explain 768 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:27,960 Speaker 1: things to people. Because of this, I've decided to not 769 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: let my first grader skipograde just yet, even though she 770 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:33,360 Speaker 1: easily could, because I want her to be able to 771 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: learn the social skills of being in a classroom and 772 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:39,320 Speaker 1: having to be around people of varying learning styles and speed. Instead, 773 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: I tutor her at home and integrate learning into everything 774 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:44,439 Speaker 1: we do. She still gets to be challenged learning about 775 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 1: the different cells of the body while her class is 776 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:50,279 Speaker 1: still learning the difference between living and non living objects 777 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:53,960 Speaker 1: like a scooter versus a lion. Yes, that really was 778 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: a question they were at Anyway, I hope this was 779 00:39:56,680 --> 00:39:58,759 Speaker 1: at least a little insightful. Keep up the good work. 780 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:01,880 Speaker 1: You're my favorite of all the how stuff Works podcasts, 781 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:04,840 Speaker 1: and I love your new videos. So thank you, Amanda. 782 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: We appreciate your sharing your story and thanks for listening, 783 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:12,160 Speaker 1: and thanks to everybody who's tuned in written in mom Stuff. 784 00:40:12,239 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 1: Discovery dot Com is where you can send us letters. 785 00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:18,719 Speaker 1: You can also follow us on Twitter at mom Stuff Podcasts, 786 00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,319 Speaker 1: Who're on Tumbler as well as stuff mom Never told 787 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:24,440 Speaker 1: You dot tumbler dot com. You can also find us 788 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 1: on Facebook. Of course, please like us while you're at it, 789 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:29,360 Speaker 1: and you can also head over and like our videos 790 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,719 Speaker 1: there at YouTube dot com slash stuff mom, Never told You, 791 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: and don't forget to subscribe for more on this and 792 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:49,920 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff works dot com. 793 00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,919 Speaker 1: Netflix streams TV shows and movies directly to your home, 794 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:56,359 Speaker 1: saving you time, money, and hassle. As a Netflix member, 795 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,480 Speaker 1: you can instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming directly 796 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,680 Speaker 1: to your comput or tablet, mobile device, or gaming console. 797 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:05,800 Speaker 1: Get a free thirty day trial membership. 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