Over the years, I’ve had the honor to work with a variety of women who have a passion for software development, product management, data science, and analytics. These are all very technical career paths, and as women, we know we’ll be in the minority, often the only woman in the room or on the team. This can be intimidating, and the lack of women in technical fields creates a vicious cycle: It’s why we continue as an industry to struggle to attract more women into technical career paths.
Sometimes I hear that, for women, it takes being “better than the rest” to be treated equally. It’s true, and I’ve experienced it myself. But after decades in the software industry, I’ve learned to see it differently. I encourage us all to be inspired by this demand, not threatened or diminished by it. We don’t want to be “just as good” as the others. We want to be the best.
This message expands beyond each of us as individuals. Any product, service, business model, or idea that seeks simply to be equal to others is destined for failure. Only the best is good enough for me.
I am honored and excited to host the DataGals panel at 10:20-11:20 AM ET Thursday, July 22. Panelists will include Keren Bartal, Director of Data Engineering at Taboola; Elina Tuominen, Service Manager at Elisa; Amy Fowler, VP of Strategy & Solutions for the FlashBlade business at Pure Storage; and Theresa Melvin, Chief Data Scientist for Vertica Americas. Each of these women is a technology pioneer who is proud to be better than the rest, and they have so much to share about what they’ve learned along their technical career paths, plus words of wisdom and inspiration for us all.
Please mark your calendars and join us to ask live questions and share your thoughts. We’ll tell stories, laugh, and even complain. After all, sometimes a “ventor” is just as important as a mentor! Together, we can be stronger and better in both our personal and professional lives. For me, the key to success is to never stop thinking about how you can be better, do more, and be an example for others.
Hosting the DataGals panel is one more way I hope I’m fulfilling that goal. I hope to see you there, virtually. And please note: Registration for Vertica Unify 2021 is FREE!
About the Author
Joy King
VP Product & GTM Strategy, Vertica
Joy leads Vertica’s Product and GTM strategy, including business strategy and execution, customer and partner education, product direction, and go-to-market initiatives. Joy has spent three decades in the software industry and is a passionate believer in the power of predictive analytics and the need for every company to become an industry disruptor.
