by heyimtalkinhere
Observe the woman, perched delicately upon her rolled-from-outside-the-room chair, adjacent to the table for the weekly department meeting. She is a rarity in these parts. The introduction of this element could upset the well-balanced “brotherhood” of the white men in the room. Let us see how the dynamic unfolds.
The meeting commences. Comments are made, and inside jokes are exchanged.
The woman raises her hand. This symbolic gesture seems to have gone unnoticed as the other men in the room share their perspectives on how they can increase their app’s female user base.
Solving this critical problem means the difference between an impressive daily active user rate and one that is simply mediocre. And getting your ideas heard when problems such as these arise requires confidence and presence.
There is no room for admitting ignorance in the eyes of venture capitalists, who hold the power in this culture. Towards the head of the table, one of the chosen brothers calls out: “We need to ensure the women log in to the app.” Nodding in agreement, the surrounding men have solidified a sort of bond, and they forge ahead together.
Looking back to the far corner of the room, the woman keeps her hand raised as the man at the head of the table, commonly referred to as “Brent,” points to the other men in the room.
Oh, what’s this? Brent has pointed in the lady’s direction, and she has taken it as an invitation to speak. Unfortunately, she misinterpreted the signal and opened her mouth, though the indication was meant for the man immediately to her right.
Brent and the man to her right both pause as the outlier begins to articulate her thoughts. “In order to empathize with women, we should speak with current users who are women to get their feedback…”
This disruption has clearly taken Brent aback. “Why is the note-taker speaking?” he thinks. The apathy in the room is palpable as confused glances bounce from bro to bro.
Responsible for leading his brethren, Brent abruptly holds up a hand and thanks the note-taker for her concerns. He passes the proverbial baton to the intended speaker. The young man they call Connor looks around the table, meeting the eyes of the attendees, preparing to enlighten the room with his idea. “If we want to get females to use the app, we must survey said females to understand their feedback.”
The nods resume, the timbre has seemed to transmit clearly to the decision-makers in the room. Connor’s definitive statement has restored equilibrium. Meanwhile, the woman rolls her eyes. Though, unsurprisingly, no one seems to take notice.