I'm not the only one, either. Talking with women at HubSpot (like Jen, Anum, and Danielle above), it's become clear that while being underestimated is a downside to working in a male-dominated field, we're motivated to work harder and better because of that profound joy. The look on people's faces when you tell them you're on an engineering team or say something they only expected to hear from a hoodie-clad brogrammer is annoying at first (it's 2016, people). But there's something rewarding about challenging the status quo by being great at what you do.
Defying expectations isn't the only thing we have to celebrate. There are a lot of perks and gratifying nuances to being a woman in the product world. So in the spirit of International Women’s Day, the ladies on our team shared their favorite things about being a developer, designer, or product leader. Disclaimer: We used this as an opportunity to celebrate the big, small, and silly benefits that come along with being a woman in tech. Emphasis on the silly.
Hopefully some of these made you laugh, and hopefully some made you think. Women pursuing careers in product development don't always have it easy. But fortune favors the bold, and the product leaders with the best looking desks in the office today are paving the way for women in STEM tomorrow. International Women's Day is a great reminder that we should be celebrating the amazing, bold women we work with. And not just today, but every day.
What do you love about being a woman in tech? Tell us in the comments or tweet at us.