Hi kids! I recently watched a documentary on the software development industry as a whole, and how women and PoC are still in a huge minority. The video doesn’t even touch the disparity of LGBTQ+. I've been in this game for roughly 15 years and I can say the things brought up in this movie are accurate. Still. Things are getting better, but we as a community, need to challenge ourselves to be more inclusive. This film definitely hit a nerve for me and made me really think back on my career and how I've truly been treated by other developers, managers, project managers, and stakeholders. It hasn't always been good. In fact, I kept a terrible annual review I received from a manager that didn't like me. He had no basis for his hatred for me, I never wrote bad code, delivered past deadlines, or anything of the sort. But this review - that lit a fire under me. I refused to let a tiny little jerk push me out. So I persisted. And I pull out that review every year and compare it my current review. It reminds me that finding a good fit in a company is worth a thousand paychecks. Being treated as a human is the gift we don't always get in every company. If you don't have that, please know - so many fantastic companies are hiring. All the time. Find one that has a culture fit for you. My resume looks a little schizophrenic in some places, and I'm betting I'm not the only one.
Many really good developers have been pushed out of the industry because of stories just like this. I am, quite stubborn, so ... SORRY it didn't work on me 😂 None of the awful things I had to deal with would stop me from doing what I love .. and I hope this helps even just 1 person to know, you are not alone. There are tons of groups built specifically for women and PoC to support each other in the tech industry and STEM in general. If you need support, go sign up!! I have a post on groups for women in tech, check it out here.
Please take the time to check this movie out, if you are a woman or PoC or LGBTQ+ you'll feel like you aren't alone. If you are a white male, please understand this movie tells it like it is. Much of the 'boy's club' has disbanded in many companies and their cultures, however it's still something that happens still. If you see someone being thought of as 'not as good as everyone else' ... consider if this is because they have poor performance, or if the potential is there for bias.
We need to do better and want to have multiple perspectives to make sure our end users can all use what we've built! The more diverse voices are involved in building something, the more inclusive your software will be!
Visit https://helloworldfilm.com/ to read more about the documentary and find where to stream (including Amazon Prime and Tubi), open it up on YouTube Here, or watch the film below:
Credit to the director Shawn Wildermuth, find his blog here: https://wildermuth.com/
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