Love the analysis of Lean In! I especially resonated with the critique of there not being an antidote to the “boys club” and how much of the advice is how to work around the existing system and appease men.
Actually, that’s exactly what we do at my organization (Toast). We actively work to remove patriarchal barriers in hiring, creating pathways for women in tech and leadership that don’t require playing by outdated rules. We do this through blind recruitment to eliminate bias, push for salary transparency, and advocate for structural changes that don’t just “invite” women into the room but redesign the entire system to be equitable from the ground up. We’re not interested in tokenism or assimilation; we’re here to build something better. We’ve also created spaces where women in tech can thrive together! That’s why we invest in real community: from male sponsorship programs (because the Dave Ramsay elevator rule is weird) to peer support to events like Tech Girl Walks, where women can connect outside of bro-y networking circles.
