Wage Gap for a Woman in Tech

Being a woman in the technology workplace can be hard. That is never more true than when it comes to salary negotiations.

I am a smart, talented woman. I deserve to make a wage that recognizes and rewards that talent. Sadly, during the hiring process, I'm not always offered that as a default. I have to negotiate for it. I have to demand it. Enough women don't.

 The psychology behind that is hard for us to overcome - but we must. To close the wage gap, not only do employers need to do their part, but we need to step up and negotiate like our male counterparts. Do your research and make your case.

The reality is that in business, you will never get what you don't ask for in wages. If you ask for more, it may not close the gap between you and your male counterparts entirely, but it will make that difference smaller.

Amazing Sunset

Noticed my kitchen had a decidedly pink hue last night and caught a beautiful sunset.

Clouds!

I love clouds.

Bootstrapping Your Professional Development as a Product Manager

As a product management professional, I'm always on the look-out for new ways to increase my world dominance skill set.

But, let's be honest, there is really not a lot of options out there for training on product management / marketing, outside of the fine folks at Pragmatic Marketing. Especially options that are FREE!!

So if you are like me and looking for a way to bootstrap your professional development, then here are a few tips.

• Participate in or start a ProductCamp in your area. A community-organized volunteer led unconference, ProductCamp is a great opportunity for information sharing, learning and networking.
• Join specialized groups that intersect with how you bring your product to market - even if it isn't in your area of responsibility. For example, my company's product is software, so the development of that software, even though not my 'job', is very much critical to the success of my products. So I joined AgileAustin to learn more about that methodology and how those philosophies can be extended into areas outside of 'development'.
• Find industry events that are free or low-cost to attend. Some conferences also now offer lower-cost or free virtual attendance with much of the same content you would get in person -- like PIPELINE 2010.
• Forums, online communities and groups are a great way to engage with others in our profession for advice, direction and tips on how to succeed. I've never met a product marketing or management pro who wouldn't willingly share their advice if you ask. Check out LinkedIn, Facebook, and Yahoo! Groups to start.
• Twitter! Add a gadget to your Google desktop and follow search #prodmgmt. Great blog posts, tweets and articles will start flowing your way in a matter of minutes.
• Search the web for great blogs on Product Management and setup an RSS feed for the latest and greatest content to come directly to you, so you never miss a post. Check out my blog roll for a few good ones to get you started. :-D

So even if you are stuck at a job with no growth or challenge you can challenge yourself with a litany of great information and resources. OK you won't earn any PDU's, but who really does anything with those nowadays anyway?

You couldn't look that up yourself?

My FAVORITE thing. Okay -- a little passive aggressive I'll admit, but it is a guilty pleasure.. give a girl a break!

Does this happen to you? People ask me things all of the time -- and I immediately think, "You couldn't take 5 minutes and Google that yourself?"

Really... because I'm too busy to be the Google of my work / personal life / whatever. If my cats had thumbs, I'd teach them how to Google. Seriously. Google cats. It's the next big thing (I predict). But I digress...

What is the word for library in Spanish? Well, let me Google that for you...

Sunglasses Haiku

perfect sunglasses
pretty but cheap from Target
easily broken

ProductCamp Austin - Summer 2010 Recap

ProductCamp Austin Summer 2010 has come and gone. Did you miss it? Don't worry, there's another one coming January 15, 2011 (so mark your calendar).

We are really lucky to have such an active community of Product Management and Marketing professionals in the Austin area. With each camp seems like we get more fantastic content, and great speakers who are all eager to share what they know. We have also continued to grow, which has its own pros and cons, but in general growth is a good problem to have.

Really the thing I love most about ProductCamp is that it is an unconference, and the emphasis is on collaboration of ideas instead of 'sessions and tracks'. One of the problems with growth is that I don't know that all of the newbies "get" that, really.

At the end of the event, attendees give feedback like 'why can't we vote for sessions ahead of time' and 'you should have content tracks'. This is a FREE, volunteer run event! Not only that, but with 'tracks' and voting ahead of time, the spirit of the unconference would be sacrificed in favor of just the plain old 'conference'. Blech. Who wants that?

So if you are a Product Management / Marketing professional who will be in the Austin area in January and you haven't been to a ProductCamp, you should come check it out.

Just remember, help keep the 'un' in unconference' - community contributed content and volunteer led.

http://barcamp.org/ProductCampAustin

Google Wave Goodbye :(

OK I tried Google Wave a while back and I confess -- I just didn't get it. Or get how to best employ it for some practical purpose (and lord knows that I am nothing if not practical).

So lately I heard it may go the way of the woolly mammoth and I confess I wasn't surprised to hear it. Some people are speculating the bits and bots that were in the 'Wave' may be consume by other Google apps, like Gmail or what-have-you.

Either way, kudos to Google for deciding to end-of-life a product that just wasn't cutting it. That had to be a tough decision, but I respect them for making it.

SXSW is here again...

One more time around we go, where we stop, nobody knows!

Well this year I'm going to stay in my own house and not a hotel, so that should keep things a bit more calm.

I also have a whole new crew to manage and want to be engaged for that.

But it should be fun being back in the mix again. Can't wait to see the bands, grab some swag and walk till I can't feel my feet -- then walk some more.

Google Wave - Hello!

Have you tried Google Wave? I asked my husband to send me an invite, so I can see if it will be a good collaborative space for a project I am working on now.

I'm still trying to figure out how best to use it.... the user interface looks like a lot of fun, but it is a little hard to navigate (or at least it doesn't seem all that intuitive to me).

So right now my wave is more of a ripple.... but we'll see!

Nom Nom Nom!

Really that's all I can say about Torchy's tacos. I know, I'm late to the party people, but what can I say? I've been busy. Super busy. Busy with a side of busy.

So we finally got the chance to try them out at the new suburban south location off of William Cannon & Mopac. What yummy goodness. The Democrat & the Green Chili Pork tacos were a-ma-zing. The migas tacos are huge (HUGE, I tell you!).

Run, don't walk, to that which is Torchy's.

Taking it Seriously

Whenever I think about the time I've spent on different hobbies or diversions, it's like I can never do anything half way. ProductCamp has been that way for me. First I just attended, then the next thing you know I'm volunteering to run registration. What seems like minutes later, suddenly I turn around and find that I'm the Logistics & Volunteer Coordinator for ProductCamp Austin. Whoa! When did that happen?

Don't get me wrong, I do like being involved. Maybe too involved. It's always been this way.

Maybe I need to focus on just being a participant in things. You know, just showing up. Not bringing any chips, or dip, or ice. But... I don't think I can hack it. I'm always a bringer. Always.

In college, with aspirations of going to law school, I joined the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Each fall our chapter went on a camping trip near the lake. It was a purely social, laid-back event, with goofy activities for 'newbies' that would hardly be considered embarrassing much less hazing. But, since it was my first year, I was supposed to be subjected to those and that was fine with me. It was all in good fun.

However, I showed up early. I brought my own tent, sleeping bag, and flashlight. I brought my own Coleman propane lantern and new mantles -- and knew what to do with them. The trip organizers rented 20 tents -- but couldn't figure out how to put them up. So I organized a team of people, showed them all how to assemble one tent, and then dispatched them to do the rest. They also rented lanterns -- which needed new mantles installed and to be lit properly (guess who did that). Next, they needed (no joke) someone to build a fire.

Did I mention? This was a co-ed fraternity. Apparently none of them had been boy scouts. Or girl scouts. Or ever even 'camped' in their back yard with their dad on the weekend.

And since no-one knew my name, they would call out for help by yelling: "Where's the Bad A$$ Camping B*tch?! We need her." "Bad A$$ Camping B*tch?"

Best. Nick-name. Ever.

I haven't had a better time camping since either. *sigh*

Shoes for the Soul

It's really amazing to me what a new pair of shoes can do to inspire. Maybe this phenomenon is limited to my brain-space, but I truly find that with the right pair of shoes, I feel I can accomplish just about anything.

:-D

SXSW 2010 Registration Kicks off

Can it be here so soon? Why yes, yes it can! Registration for SXSW 2010 officially launches Monday, August 3rd -- get your registration in now for the best hotel choices. :-D

Attendance at the SXSW Interactive portion of the conference has continued to increase each year by leaps and bounds. They seem to continue to attract A+ folks to speak in both their Keynotes and Panels. Last year the Guy Kawasaki and Chris Anderson keynote was pretty interesting and 2008 was all abuzz with the Mark Zuckerberg interview by Sarah Lacey.

Overall, the thing I enjoy the most are the connections I make during SXSW. It is truly an amazing networking event -- with a tad* bit of entertainment thrown in for good measure.

I've been to every SXSW conference since 2003, so if I can answer any questions for you, feel free to send them my way.

*Note: YMMV :)

Fake it till you believe it

"Fake it till you believe it" is something the marketing director at my former employer is known to have said on occasion. Really the idea is that no matter your frame of mind, if you 'fake' it, then ultimately you'll start to believe it and actually feel differently about the situation. And certainly that sentiment rings true now that a job search is at my doorstep. Putting yourself in the right frame of mind for a job search in this economy can feel a lot like a 'Fake it till you believe it' moment. You have to believe that you are a superstar and radiate that confidence in how you approach new opportunities (notice I said confidence, not arrogance!).

On to lighter fare... I read my Horoscope every once in a while for entertainment. Read today's offering for Tarot.com (I'm a Capricorn BTW):

It's healthy for you to reestablish yourself today, especially if the ground recently shook beneath your feet. Although you're most comfortable when you know where you are and where you are heading, you might not have that luxury now. Although you are regaining stability, you may not want the same things you once did. Give yourself time to set different goals before you try to figure out your new course.

Hopefully that means good things are on the horizon. :)

Water Scofflaws Beware!

Really ... what a great word... scofflaws.

I can tell you that right now my yard is a virtual dustbowl, after more than 30 days of 100+ degree heat and record-breaking lack of rain. In what has to be the worst drought we've had in 100 years, cities around Texas are encouraging residents to report on illegal watering.

So Texans, here's a recipe for baking cookies on the dashboard of your car. Enjoy!

Exits and Moving On..

This week QuickArrow announced their acquisition by NetSuite, bringing this chapter in my work experience to a close. QuickArrow, an Austin Ventures portfolio company, survived when the tech bubble burst in Austin in 2001 and was back on a track and poised for growth when I joined in 2005. Being part of a start-up that grew up and ultimately achieved an 'exit' is certainly something I'm proud to have been a part of, but that feeling of success is mingled with a certain amount of sadness.

Someone said it feels like the last day of school or that there should be a year-book for us all to sign. I know what they mean. Being a part of a small company meant wearing a ton of hats, always pitching in and having a feeling that I was really making an impact every day. Of course, the people I worked with were a huge part of what I loved about being there every day. From Wii Bowling Tournaments to setting off the building fire alarm on Halloween (someone brought a 'fog machine') -- I'll have lot's of great memories to take with me.

While I'll miss my co-workers in the days ahead, I'm excited to turn the corner and see what is in store for me now. I'm ready for a new challenge and a fresh opportunity to help another company achieve the same kind of success and growth that I did at QuickArrow.

Top Notch - An Austin Institution

There are certainly plenty of places that Austin locals think of when they think of places that have been around ... well... forever. For me, one of those is Top Notch on Burnet Rd. This old-school drive-in has changed it's decor very little since it opened in 1961, and has been featured in movies from Dazed & Confused to Varsity Blues -- but that's not why I go.

Classic, simple menu featuring char-grilled burgers and fried chicken that will make you want to slap-yo-mama, this place is the real deal. In my household, the favorite is the 'Longhorn special' -- a two-patty burger with 1000 island dressing -- that must have been an answer to the 'Big Mac' when it was put on the menu.

So, if you're feeling nostalgic or want to have a truly classic Austin experience, then I highly recommend.

Photo credit: auslunch.com

SXSW Panel Picker - Voting Coming Soon!

Get your engines ready for the SXSW Panel Picker Voting process, starting on August 10, 2009. Want to go to SXSW this year? Want to have a say in the panels they put on the list? Then VOTE!

AgileAustin Workshop: Rapid Requirements

First, let me begin by saying how incredibly blessed we are to have such an active, talented and passionate groups of folks in the Agile community here in Austin.

In the interest of giving back, let me share some information about the AgileAustin Workshop: Rapid Requirements, led by Scott Killen. The session was about 2 hours long and after a brief overview of the process, we dove right in. Actually going through the exercise was a great way to communicate the process and how it works, and it made the time fly by. In a real-world setting, I've tried versions of this requirements elicitation exercise, but I love these types of workshops because I always seem to pick up a nuance or detail that I didn't consider before.

Here are few high-level concepts from the session (see my link below to full notes if you are interested).

This process is great for brainstorming & group collaboration, although it might not be ideal for large groups (over 20) and remote teams.

The main steps to Rapid Requirements process are:
1. Familiarize - let everyone know the goal of the session and the main topic at hand
2. Itemize - have everyone write down the top 3-5 requirements or issues that come to mind (on post-it notes)
3. Review - collect the stickies, reading out the issues identified to the group, and place them all around the room
4. Associate - have everyone get up and begin grouping similar issues together
5. Categorize - review sets of issues and determine which 'Category' best describes those items
6. Clarify - ask the group about unclear issues and/or ask the contributor to explain
7. Prioritize - have everyone go back to their categories and hard rank the items
8. Top 3 Review - review the top 3 from each category with the group
9. Vote - give each group member small dots or stars and ask them to 'vote' for ANY item(s) they feel are very important

Some notes here: Any 'step' can be performed at any time, but you should continue to move the group ahead. For example, in the 'Review' step, the group might identify additional items, that's fine. Finally, after you Vote, do not re-order the items in the category. Leave them in place and collect the stickies in order. The Product Owner will need to sort that out later.

AgileAustin Workshop Rapid Requirements
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