A few weeks ago, actress Jennifer Lawrence took a stand against gender pay gaps in Hollywood—in a newsletter. To be clear, this is not just any newsletter. Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter has become a must-read, in part as a platform for high-profile feminists. The latest is one-time venture capitalist Ellen Pao, who spoke out in Lenny Letter today about sexism in Silicon Valley.
In her piece—"Silicon Valley sexism is getting better. Slowly"—Pao describes her career and the ways in which the industry's biases began to themselves “crack by crack.” Still, she says, Silicon Valley has started to make meaningful progress.
“The biggest positive difference over the past 20 years is how women and minorities are sharing others’ bad behavior, data, and their own experiences publicly,” Pao writes.
Pao has been relatively quiet in the weeks since she said she would not pursue an appeal in her failed gender discrimination lawsuit against her former employer, marquee venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. In July, Pao stepped down as interim CEO of Reddit after facing intense backlash when a popular employee was abruptly fired and new anti-harassment policies introduced. That same month, she penned an op-ed in The Washington Post in which she said she had "endured one of the largest trolling attacks in history." In Lenny Letter, Pao looks back at the longer arc of her career in the Valley:
- It was easier in her early work life, especially in her 20s. Then things started to get tougher. Fresh out of Harvard Law School, Pao says she felt she was doing well—and other women, including women of color, seemed to be succeeding, too. Schools, law firms, and successful senior partners all told them they were on track to have fantastic careers. But later, “our ranks thinned and progress got harder,” Pao writes.
- There were inconsistencies in what people said and what they actually did. “I saw many firms talking meritocracy but ignoring great opportunities that women brought in or giving men credit for them,” she says.
- “Unconscious” biases and bringing up “the pipeline problem” are excuses we shouldn’t fall for. Pao argues that when tech and VC leaders throw out these justifications, they’re merely saying, "We haven’t done anything wrong, and we don’t care to fix it."
- But things are changing. People can now call out others’ bad behavior publicly. They’re sharing their experiences, and they’re doing valuable research. Pao points to the decision by Silicon Valley tech giants to voluntarily release their diversity statistics as a sign of progress. Researchers are looking at hard data around how the system treats people in tech, from graduation to hiring to the upper ranks of VC firms and tech companies. People are also sharing their stories on social media. Erica Baker, an ex-Googler, made waves when she described inconsistencies in salaries by gender and race. A Fortune reporter uncovered gender bias in performance reviews. Questions are being asked and a spotlight cast on the issues.
- Pao's advice for other women and members of minority groups? Be resilient. Speak up—don’t be silent.
For women facing struggles in a male-dominated work culture, Pao says there’s one important thing to remember: “You are not alone.”
