5-Point Advice To Women Tech BIZ Experiencess Our job is not to prove to the world that we are better than men at anything but to put forward our best selves and grow with opportunities.

By Upasana Taku

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

You're reading BIZ Experiences India, an international franchise of BIZ Experiences Media.

Shutterstock

The last few years have been remarkable for the technology startup ecosystem. The industry is booming, bringing into its fray sectors like education, healthcare and finance, and women are emerging as key enablers of the game. We are claiming our sky and leading many such startups, be it in eCommerce or consumer tech. It is no surprise that finally, the world is witnessing the true potential of women power. However, as we know, startups are grueling and being leaders, we have enormous pressure. Over this, being women, we carry the weight of judgments and disparity. In the past 7 years since I found my startup, I have faced and overcome many situations that other women-tech BIZ Experiencess would also be facing at the moment. So, without sounding pedantic, I would like to share what I have learnt as a woman in my BIZ Experiencesial journey so that it may help other women in similar positions or the ones leaning towards making this decision:

Get your reasons right for choosing BIZ Experiencesship

When one, man or woman, chooses to go down the BIZ Experiencesial route, it has to be a decision that's objectively thought through, and not made because it is the cool thing to do. Transitioning from a professional role or a student role to an BIZ Experiences, needs you to have done your spadework. What exactly are you planning to do and how solid and viable is your proposed venture. Hustle it, do a pilot, try to make sure you have something going before you choose to begin. If passion is driving you, you will find success, sooner or later, but be sure that its passion and not the drive to make money or show off.

You are not competing with men

Before anyone else, we as women must believe in ourselves and in our abilities. Technology is not just a man's domain anymore. Our job is not to prove to the world that we are better than men at anything but to put forward our best selves and grow with opportunities. The world will get the point when your venture turns successful.

In today's time and age, when we preach to children that gender doesn't define them, we must first believe and practice this ourselves.

Take charge

Globally, there are few women leaders in technology and in India, even fewer. As a result,we see very few role models for young women wanting to dive into tech BIZ Experiencesship. For women who say that they need validation, it is about time we get up and realize we don't have to ask for validation, we are leaders and we should trust it. This confidence is important and will help women BIZ Experiencess take charge of their companies and their lives. At the end, the success or failure of your dreams will be detrimental for you and all those who believed you.

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate

Collaboration is important. While we can resolve all the issues and do much more ourselves, we don't have to do it all alone. In fact, a key trait of successful BIZ Experiencess is one who surrounds herself with smarter people who can do the job better and get it done in less time or more efficiently. Take the time to network with like-minded people—people who are supportive of your venture, and you, and who will not drown you in their own negativity and doubts. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to work with people who echo your passion and conviction.

Choose happiness

Work life balance has become the stale, oft-repeated management term thrown at professionals as a solution for everything, from workplace stress and anxiety to accumulation of weeks of unpaid leave. Personally, I believe it is better to chase a life that makes us happy, rather than justify to society that we have a work-life balance. In the Indian context, keeping family happy and keeping self-happy for women takes a lot of work, and women have to decide that they are allowed to do things for themselves in order to live the life they want to live.

Upasana Taku

Co-founder and Director, MobiKwik

With the mission to simplify payments in India, Upasana co-founded MobiKwik in 2009. Her current focus is to bring a million retailers into the MobiKwik payments network. Upasana comes with a strong background in payments, and has worked as a senior product manager with PayPal in the Silicon Valley and prior to that, with HSBC in San Diego, US.

An engineering graduate from NIT Jalandhar, Upasana also holds a Masters degree in Management Science from Stanford University. She has over 14 years of experience in Payments & Financial Services.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Science & Technology

AI Isn't Plug-and-Play — You Need a Strategy. Here's Your Guide to Building One.

Don't just "add AI" — build a strategy. This guide helps founders avoid common pitfalls and create a step-by-step roadmap to harness real value from AI.

Business News

Here's How Much Google Software Engineers, Product Managers, and Data Scientists Make in a Year

Data revealed in federal filings shows how much Google is compensating its employees.

Growing a Business

10 Habits That Separate Rich and Successful Founders From Wannabe BIZ Experiencess

Successful BIZ Experiencess adopt rich habits. Unsuccessful BIZ Experiencess ignore their habits.

Starting a Business

I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here's How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

Wealth-building in your early twenties isn't about playing it safe; it's about exploiting the one time in life when having nothing to lose gives you everything to gain.