fbpx

Op-Ed: Why We Need More Women in Startups

After 4 months of working side-by-side with my female co-worker, the proof was definitely in the pudding, every startup needs a professional woman.

Prev1 of 2Next
Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse


“Behind every successful man, is a great woman”

Does this quote sound familiar? Recently the topic has been floating around our office, and it certainly got me thinking. If behind every successful man there is an equally successful woman, then shouldn’t this same fact ring true for every startup?

The question certainly raised a few eyebrows, and I quickly turned into the butt of many feminist jokes, but I have to say that I have made up my mind on this one. A few months ago, we added a female to an all-male employee roster. The new addition certainly livened up the dynamic in the office, and the change had me wondering if our all boys club was so desperately in need of a good dose of estrogen?

After 4 months of working side-by-side with my female co-worker, the proof was definitely in the pudding, every startup needs a professional woman.

 

Startup Diversity is Good for Business

[pullquote align=”right”]”I grew up with a younger sister, and a wonderful mother, so I know that women have this unique way of being magnificent and terrifying all at the same time.”[/pullquote]Before I get knee-deep into it, here’s a bit about myself, my perspective, and why I’m a credible source. While I find that the color pink works well with my skin tone, and I still get a bit emotional every time I watch Luke Skywalker find out that Darth Vader is his father, I am very much, 100% man.

I grew up with a younger sister, and a wonderful mother, so I know that women have this unique way of being magnificent and terrifying all at the same time. I have worked for many different companies together with men and women over the years, but only recently have I noticed how important the female perspective can be when it comes to business.

Working for a startup means being part of the workforce on a much smaller scale. Every aspect of startup life is very pure, and fresh. Ultimately, the working dynamic and nature of a startup company is very different than its corporate counterpart.

Adding flavor to the mix can do a lot of good for any company, but can be especially useful for a small company that is just starting out. Having too many like-minded heads in one office may seem like an easy way to do business, but the lack of diversity can quickly lead to a group think type of situation.

You know that old saying “thinking outside of the box”? Well, sometimes being surrounding by a group of dominant workers with similar points of view makes it hard for just anyone to step up and speak out. By adding a woman to a team of men, the slippery slope of similar thinking can easily be avoided.

Prev1 of 2Next
Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse
 

© YFS Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Copying prohibited. All material is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited. Sharing of this material under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International terms, listed here, is permitted.

   

In this article