how women in tech taught me to make decisions

when i entered the tech industry, some of my greatest teachers were women building algorithms, satellites, infrastructure, and systems far more complicated than any stereotype could account for.

they taught me that good decisions are not about ego or emotion. find the real problem. defend your thinking, but stay willing to be wrong. change direction when the evidence changes.

and most importantly, empathy does not mean avoiding hard decisions.

i can care deeply about my team and still challenge them. understand a user and still say no. love an idea and still kill it when it does not serve the product.

that may be one of the greatest things this career has taught me.