We asked four executive women in the technology industry to share the most important lesson they learned while building a business. There are certainly some key takeaways that any female founder could use.
Ask For Help
Lisa Skeete Tatum, CEO of Landit, a platform that was created to increase the success and engagement of women in the workplace, said that your to-do list is going to get long and it’s important to ask for help.
Know What You Want
Namrata Ganatra, formerly with Facebook and PayPal, now CTO at Stockpile, the world’s first gift card for stock, said that sometimes you need to ask for what you want. “The other lesson is the importance of being resilient. You will hear ‘no’ a thousand times and from all directions. The road to building a company has its ups and downs. You need to be able to stay firm in your belief and vision, and unwavering in your commitment to succeed,” Tatum said.
Focus Up
Karla Friede, CEO and Founder of Nvoicepay, a platform that transforms the massive and expensive effort that goes into paying suppliers into a simple and automated solution, said that perseverance and focus has served her well.
The Importance of the Team
Kelly McNelis, founder and CEO of Women For One, a global platform with a unique approach to empowering women to unapologetically live a life they love, said that recruiting the best team can make or break the success of your business. “The second is that you need to focus all your energy on the customer. The customer should be at the heart of every product decision. Take the time to listen and understand their needs before you start building products. The final lesson is to work with people you trust but who do not think like you. My co-founders and I all bring different strengths to the table. We strive to hire people who bring a diverse way of thinking to our team,” Friede said.
