For a long time, tech culture has focused too narrowly on technical skills; this has resulted in a tech community that too often puts companies and code over people. Greater Than Code is a podcast that invites the voices of people who are not heard from enough in tech: women, people of color, trans and/or queer folks, to talk about the human side of software development and technology. Greater Than Code is providing a vital platform for these conversations, and developing new ideas of what it means to be a technologist beyond just the code. Featuring an ongoing panel of racially and gender diverse tech panelists, the majority of podcast guests so far have been women in tech! We’ve covered topics including imposter syndrome, mental illness, sexuality, unconscious bias and social justice. We also have a major focus on skill sets that tech too often devalues, like team-building, hiring, community organizing, mentorship and empathy. Each episode also includes a transcript. We have an active Slack community that members can join by pledging as little as $1 per month via Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode)
Episode 025: MotherCoders with Tina Lee
00:16 – Welcome to “Not Your Mother’s Podcast!” …we mean, “Greater Than Code!”
00:55 – Origin Story and Getting Involved in Coding
03:17 – Programming Perspectives From People of Different Backgrounds; Teaching Adults vs Children
08:19 – Work/Life Balance
11:32 – Changing Culture Around Gender Roles and Caregiving
“Culture is like water in that it flows from the top down.”
Nev Schulman Wants to Erase Gender Stereotypes for Parents
18:18 – The MotherCoders Organization
What to expect when you’re done expecting
24:27 – Teaching Frontend Development and The Stereotype that Women are Better at Frontend than Backend Work
We can teach women to code, but that just creates another problem
30:00 – Silicon Valley Elitism, Sexism, and Defining Cultural Norms; “The Ideal Worker”
35:38 – Why do we not have many of women CEOs?
37:42 – Tactical Help for Cultural Changes
Reflections:
Mandy: Donate to MotherCoders and/or support them via AmazonSmile.
Rein: The empowerment of women and the challenges they face are a global problem.
Coraline: Fostering entrepreneurship and empowering women worldwide. Also, thinking about role models and how to amplify voices.
Tina: Including moms as a kind of marginalized group as well.
This episode was brought to you by @therubyrep of DevReps, LLC. To pledge your support and to join our awesome Slack community, visit patreon.com/greaterthancode.
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Special Guest: Tina Lee.