How I Taught Millions Of Women The Most Important Skill: Girls Who Code Founder: Reshma Saujani
- Guest
- —
- Read time
- ~4 min
- Uploaded
- 6 Jun 2022
- Duration
- 1:19:20
- Views
- 132.1K
KEYPOINTS
- 01
Girls Who Code mission: teach millions of girls/women coding as economic leverage — make the world better by coding inclusion.
Reshma Saujani (founder/CEO, bestselling author) built through fundraising, scale, and culture pain. Immigrant bullying ('go back to your country' spray paint) and mother's tears shaped drive.
- 02
Immigrant generational gap: parents from Uganda — luxury of searching for purpose vs survival.
Self-actualization is a privilege she names. University debt encumbers with poor delivery vs cost/time — critiques degree ROI.
- 03
Congress run as leadership gauntlet — NYT late acknowledgment; young girls with posters; knocking doors.
Silent until covered. Campaign taught power and gender dynamics among admired women leaders.
- 04
Would-do-differently: stop selling girl-boss fix-yourself equality lie.
Structural change over individual grit mythology. Coding skill still leverage; narratives must not blame girls for unequal systems.
- 05
Founder loneliness while scaling a movement nonprofit/education org.
Difficult build: money, culture, curriculum. Millions taught still rests on invisible founder cost.
- 06
Coding as the important skill gap for women's economic power.
Not the only skill — the episode's chosen lever. Access changes trajectories.
- 07
Bullying and racist vandalism as origin fuel, not destiny.
Mother's crying face as memory that mobilises. Convert wound to institution.
- 08
Young people need to run — campaign events that inspired her.
Representation loop: girls see her posters then she builds Girls Who Code for them.
EXAMPLES
- 01
House spray-painted 'go back to your country.'
Immigrant hostility origin.
- 02
Congress run + door-knocking + girls' posters.
Political apprenticeship.
- 03
University debt vs delivery critique.
ROI skepticism.
- 04
Girl-boss equality lie she would drop.
Narrative correction.
- 05
Millions of girls taught to code mission.
Scale aspiration/outcome.
OTHER RELEVANT
- 01
Teach/fund economic leverage skills (coding etc.) for underrepresented girls — pair with structural advocacy.
Drop fix-yourself-only feminism in your messaging. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip. Hold the guest's named mechanisms and numbers; apply one concrete change this week rather than collecting another abstract tip.
- 02
If founding for impact, budget for loneliness and culture work.
Name immigrant purpose-luxury honestly when coaching.
- 03
Run for the room that ignores you — visibility is part of the product.
Convert personal wounds into institutions carefully.