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In today’s competitive tech landscape, technical literacy is more than just an asset—it’s a game-changer for women in product management and leadership roles. While you don’t need to become a coding expert, having a solid grasp of key technical concepts can empower you to make informed decisions, communicate effectively with your engineering teams, and drive product innovation.

Our latest blog with Irene Yu breaks down essential skills that every woman PM and product leader should know:

1. Be Able to Communicate Technically: The first skill is about talking the talk. It’s not just knowing the common tech terms, but also being able to read and understand things like API docs and software diagrams.

2. Awareness of Available Technologies: The next skill is having a broad understanding of the tools and technologies out there. This means knowing the solutions for different challenges—like how to improve slow app speeds or reduce user churn.

3. Evaluating Technical Trade-Offs: Engineers often have to make decisions based on trade-offs. As a PM, it’s key to understand what factors (like speed, security, or ease of implementation) affect a decision.

4. Understanding the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): Finally, it’s important to know how the software development process works. Understanding the SDLC helps you collaborate better with engineers and stay aligned on product timelines.

Curious to learn more? Dive into our full blog for a deeper exploration of these key skills and actionable tips for mastering technical literacy. Empower yourself to lead with confidence, drive change, and excel in your role. Check out the blog here and start your journey toward technical mastery today!

Founding a business isn't the only path to entrepreneurship—you could also acquire an existing business, stepping in to grow it as the new owner and CEO. Katherine Butler-Dines, a successful self-funded searcher and the CEO of Affinity Travel Co., took this very path. After a successful career at a travel startup and then getting her MBA, Katherine joined a private equity firm as an operating partner at an IT services firm. She grew profits 30% YoY of IT services but experienced none of the upside, given she was without meaningful equity ownership.

​This experience convinced Katherine she needed to take the leap into entrepreneurship, but rather than found a company, she decided to search and acquire an exisiting business. In 9 months, she ran a successful self-funded search, acquiring a travel business in September 2024. In this event, Katherine will share her experiences of Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA), offering insights into the pros/cons of buying vs founding a business, demystifying the steps you need to take to acquire a company, and sharing her experience as a female searcher and now CEO in the largely male-dominated world of "search funds."

​Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or stuck in your career or job search? You’re not alone! Join us for a Tech Ladies Virtual Meetup designed for those experiencing burnout. This is a space to not only commiserate but also refresh through connection and strategize ways to make your career and job search more sustainable.

​During this interactive session, we’ll have 3-4 short breakout discussions to share experiences, offer support, and explore solutions together. Plus, Kelly Jamison, Tech Ladies Career Coach & Community Manager will share some of her favorite strategies and resources for tackling burnout head-on.

As always, you can find more details on our upcoming events here.

📚 LEARN A NEW SKILL

Check out our new partnership with Springboard offering Tech Ladies members a discount on both their career bootcamps and AI course. Apply by 3/12 to join the January cohort of their career bootcamps and by 5/5 to join the May cohort of their AI course!

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