I Disagree! We Need to Change the Dialogue

January 31, 2012 |

Why are we continuing to have these outdated discussions?

Folks, this is my blog to ‘disrupt’ common notions of why we don’t have enough women entrepreneurs or angels or VCs. With a huge amount of respect I am going to use my good friend, Vivek’s article (Women and Venture Capital on Inc.com) to disagree with several of his points:

1. We have plenty of women role models. Since last week, I have spoken to brilliant women executives in banking, consulting, publishing and technology in the UK, Canada, the US and India. Sometimes when we throw around the word ‘role model’, it implies we don’t have a lot of successful women, but we do. Is it enough? Hell, No! A handful of Fortune 500 women CEO’s does not suffice, but there are plenty of women doing great work out there. I believe that the work of great women like Shaherose Charania, CEO of Women 2.0, is really helping to raise the bar and the dialog by helping to empower women with the tools needed to succeed.

2. When it comes to getting funded, it is about appetite for risk and absolutely convincing the source of funding, say the angel, VC or other, as to why you believe your company will succeed and your determination and passion should be addictive, unstoppable and infective. Yes, even in light of skepticism and doubt. This is very hard for women! The question we should ask ourselves as women entrepreneurs, is: “ Are we totally committed to the idea? Can we convince the party at the other side of the table?” Or, will we buckle under pressure?

3. Women also shy away from being investors. Globally, I rarely have women investors with me at the table. Why is that? Are we fundamentally comfortable with taking risk and funding risks? Or are we more comfortable with low risk? FYI- this has nothing to do with access to money. Very wealthy women often stay away from investing. Why?

4. So, it would be very easy and convenient as a female to state that the opportunities are not there, the role models are absent, the funding is not there, on and on…BUT, the fact is to succeed we should not view convenience as the path to success, truth is. Hey, I do believe sure there are some totally unenlightened VC’s out there , and some who don’t believe women can be great entrepreneurs. But we will fail if we believe that is the norm.

Truth:

I am a woman entrepreneur, investor, disruptor and I work around the globe. Once I show unstoppable passion and determination, I find people (male and female) that want to be part of the game. I look for people to inspire me and want to inspire others about the impossible.

So, frankly, folks, I want to change this dialogue. Let’s focus on realizing that women are doing great stuff, help women deal with intimidation/self doubt/ skepticism better. Help women embrace failure and experimentation. Let’s have positive discussions of how to get the impossible done and get things done, and focus less on hashing the outdated, uninspiring dialogue of why as women we have so many obstacles ahead of us!

Steve Jobs had the goal of making a ‘dent’ in universe. I say, women can make a huge dent.

Let’s focus less on all the negative rhetoric of why there is inertia against women. It is uninspiring and unproductive.

Could it be better? Sure.

Is someone else always at fault? No.

Do women rock? Hell yes!

7 Comments

Annmaria on February 1, 2012 at 11:05 am

What you’re advocating – and I agree – is that the average woman needs to be more of a bitch. I’m working on a new product. I’ve been in business for years but this is a real innovation. My husband was identifying areas where we are less than the perfect company to do this. Finally, I said , to hell with you. I don’t care what you think. I’m going to make this whether you think I can or not . We’ve made a lot of progress since then – enough that I have to get back to work. I think a lot of women don’t feel that comfortable telling everyone in the world, right down to their spouse, to go to hell. ( To be fair, my spouse pitched in after that point and has been immensely helpful)

JenniFren on February 13, 2012 at 7:11 am

Annamaria, I disagree and am disheartened by your comment. A woman who stands by her convictions in light of opposition is NOT a bitch. If gender were removed from the story, any individual who defies naysayers to find success should be heralded as a hero, not derided with antiquated sexist stereotypes. If we are really going to change the dialog, as Linda suggests, we need to look for language that builds up women instead of tearing them down.

linda bernardi on February 2, 2012 at 8:17 pm

In an earlier blog, I called women to action by saying: JUST DO IT! I totally agree with you. You (a strong woman) has an idea, you know your core business, go for it. We need more women ‘to do’ rather ‘than seek approval to do’. Many great advances are made by women doing the hard work, so why not change the dialog and focus more and push the envelope on what we can do and are doing. We need more women like YOU to speak up. Tell us about your great business, inform the many thousand who are reading these blogs. You rock! Go to hell is the kind way of saying ‘get out of my way- I am determined and nothing can stop me. Hey happy to make mistakes, but from mistakes come possibilities. From no risk comes nothing’. I have a feeling your spouse greatly admires this trait in you. Material for another blog for sure!

Ellen Lapham on February 8, 2012 at 9:45 pm

Linda, You rock as we climbers say!
I am/have been a CEO, a tech company founder, raised millions for new ventures, invented some new ways of doing things (disruptive, yes!), and invested in new entrepreneurs. What does it take? Passion and focus, and creative ways to get around obstacles.
Your writing as always is inspiring. Our good friend Anita Borg would urge you to “keep talking!”
Ellen

Joe Nalley on February 12, 2012 at 7:56 pm

I agree, there are always a million reasons why you can’t do something, but people that are successful entrepreneurs find a way to do it anyway. It’s refreshing to see someone look at the disparate numbers of women entrepreneurs and instead of saying shame on the investor community, the good ole’ boys club etc. for not being equal, Linda states regardless of gender there are opportunities out there go find them, be creative, be disruptive and innovate.

Berk Nadir on February 12, 2012 at 9:09 pm

The last 3 bold statements of the blog pretty much sum it up.
There definitely are some fantastic women out there doing unbelievable things, and as a minority myself, I would love to see diversity in the business world as well.
This diversification, as well as globalization is something we’re lucky to witness in today’s world, through social media, internet, and everything else that connects us from one part of the world to the other.
And of course, as always, best way to empower women, or anyone else, is through education, education, and education.

Roberto Savino on February 29, 2012 at 7:18 pm

This post makes wonder about gender differences. Though this is probably the opposite of the intent of this post, I believe women and men are not the same. I truly believe women can be better than men. Not always, of course, but I’ve been happily surprised but when I happen to meet a woman that really wants to accomplish something. My experience is that there’s usually no stopping her.
One of the women I admire the most is Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. She’s a great example of how women can show men how things should get done.

Annmaria on February 1, 2012 at 11:05 am

What you’re advocating – and I agree – is that the average woman needs to be more of a bitch. I’m working on a new product. I’ve been in business for years but this is a real innovation. My husband was identifying areas where we are less than the perfect company to do this. Finally, I said , to hell with you. I don’t care what you think. I’m going to make this whether you think I can or not . We’ve made a lot of progress since then – enough that I have to get back to work. I think a lot of women don’t feel that comfortable telling everyone in the world, right down to their spouse, to go to hell. ( To be fair, my spouse pitched in after that point and has been immensely helpful)
- JenniFren on February 13, 2012 at 7:11 am
  
  Annamaria, I disagree and am disheartened by your comment. A woman who stands by her convictions in light of opposition is NOT a bitch. If gender were removed from the story, any individual who defies naysayers to find success should be heralded as a hero, not derided with antiquated sexist stereotypes. If we are really going to change the dialog, as Linda suggests, we need to look for language that builds up women instead of tearing them down.
linda bernardi on February 2, 2012 at 8:17 pm

In an earlier blog, I called women to action by saying: JUST DO IT! I totally agree with you. You (a strong woman) has an idea, you know your core business, go for it. We need more women ‘to do’ rather ‘than seek approval to do’. Many great advances are made by women doing the hard work, so why not change the dialog and focus more and push the envelope on what we can do and are doing. We need more women like YOU to speak up. Tell us about your great business, inform the many thousand who are reading these blogs. You rock! Go to hell is the kind way of saying ‘get out of my way- I am determined and nothing can stop me. Hey happy to make mistakes, but from mistakes come possibilities. From no risk comes nothing’. I have a feeling your spouse greatly admires this trait in you. Material for another blog for sure!
Ellen Lapham on February 8, 2012 at 9:45 pm

Linda, You rock as we climbers say!
I am/have been a CEO, a tech company founder, raised millions for new ventures, invented some new ways of doing things (disruptive, yes!), and invested in new entrepreneurs. What does it take? Passion and focus, and creative ways to get around obstacles.
Your writing as always is inspiring. Our good friend Anita Borg would urge you to “keep talking!”
Ellen
Joe Nalley on February 12, 2012 at 7:56 pm

I agree, there are always a million reasons why you can’t do something, but people that are successful entrepreneurs find a way to do it anyway. It’s refreshing to see someone look at the disparate numbers of women entrepreneurs and instead of saying shame on the investor community, the good ole’ boys club etc. for not being equal, Linda states regardless of gender there are opportunities out there go find them, be creative, be disruptive and innovate.
Berk Nadir on February 12, 2012 at 9:09 pm

The last 3 bold statements of the blog pretty much sum it up.
There definitely are some fantastic women out there doing unbelievable things, and as a minority myself, I would love to see diversity in the business world as well.
This diversification, as well as globalization is something we’re lucky to witness in today’s world, through social media, internet, and everything else that connects us from one part of the world to the other.
And of course, as always, best way to empower women, or anyone else, is through education, education, and education.
Roberto Savino on February 29, 2012 at 7:18 pm

This post makes wonder about gender differences. Though this is probably the opposite of the intent of this post, I believe women and men are not the same. I truly believe women can be better than men. Not always, of course, but I’ve been happily surprised but when I happen to meet a woman that really wants to accomplish something. My experience is that there’s usually no stopping her.
One of the women I admire the most is Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. She’s a great example of how women can show men how things should get done.

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