WITI Women Survey Questions and Responses:
1. What was your first job in technology?
My first job was consulting for software companies that wanted to
become multimedia companies. I spent the bulk of my efforts trying to
get
the media folks to understand the software folks and vice versa. It was
my
conclusion, at the time, that software companies could not become media
companies -- so I rendered myself unemployable!
2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
In the technology space, my greatest mentor has been David
Wetherell, the CEO of CMGi from whom I have learned a lot and who has
had a
great deal of faith in me. I had a number of (male) mentors in radio and
TV
who did likewise.
3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome
obstacles?
I was hired by CMGi in 1996 to build a company around a piece of
technology it had acquired. The understanding at that time was that the
software was just about ready to ship, the salesforce was poised to
close
deals with 5 major customers. It turned out that the software, far from
being ready to ship, just did not work -- so the salesforce and the
customers went away. I was left with the challenge of re-engineering a
tremendously complex piece of software. All I brought to the challenge
was
ruthless determination.
How did I overcome obstacles? I worked closely and passionately
with
some truly gifted, world-class engineers. I drove them and myself. I
loudly
rewarded success. I set the pace by working most of the hours of the day
and
night.
Margaret Heffernan answers these questions:
1. What was your first job in technology?
2. Who has been your most significant mentor? Why?
3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies
did you use to overcome obstacles?
4. Who has been the most influential person in your life?
Why?
5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to
women beginning their careers in technology?
6. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive
impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?
On the lighter side:
1. If you could have dinner with any 2 people (living or not),
who would they be?
2. What was the last book you read? What books do you love to recommend?
3. If you were to choose a different profession, what would it be?
4. What is your definition of success?
