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jess unrein
jess unrein

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Driven mostly by spite, jess coded

I continued to code in 2019 because...

  • Coding for a living is like getting to solve puzzles for a living. I love that.
  • My first VP of Engineering told after only three months on the job that I just didn't seem "technical enough," and that I should consider a "people management" or product manager track instead. I hope he sees my entire career as a "fuck you" direct from me to him.
  • Gotta keep a roof over my head.

I deserve credit for...

  • Prioritizing my health and work life balance over the last 14 months. It's easy to fall into a rut, especially at a desk job where you don't have to interact with people as much as many other professionals do.
  • Taking time for myself.
  • Coming out as nonbinary at work.

I hope to see my tech community...

  • Start treating nonbinary people as legitimate, rather than "woman-lite."
  • Start including more WOC and nonbinary POC voices in leadership.
  • Commit to pay transparency.

Top comments (4)

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Ben Lovy

Living well is the best revenge

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Ben Dowen

"Commit to pay transparency.", +1 for this! Thanks for sharing.

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Shannon Crabill

Your puzzle analogy is on point!

Also, now I want to put some puzzle to give myself a break from looking at code all day.

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Jen Chan

I get a sense you’re quite competitive, as it’s a trait I have too when someone tells me (or makes a gesture to say) I can’t. It all started with parental disapproval, and what a useful driving force.