Slides for discussion at ProductCamp Silicon Valley March 22, 2014 Confronting Imposter Syndrome for Women in Tech, Product And Others; uncovering the dirty laundry in Silicon Valley & Product Management

1. Confronting Imposter
Syndrome
by Cindy F. Solomon
March 22, 2014
© Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com

2. Cindy F. Solomon, CPM, CPMM
© Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
•Host, Global Product Management Talk
•Founder, Startup Product movement for product excellence
•Contributing author: ProdBOK, Product Management And Marketing Body of
Knowledge and 42 Rules Product Marketing #13 Emulate Twitter
•20 years of web development, services, consulting & software product
marketing and management at Apple, Vadem, NetObjects and start-ups in
Silicon Valley.
www.linkedin.com/in/cfsolomon/

3. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Questions
Who’s here?
What do YOU want?

4. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com

5. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com

6. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com

7. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com

8. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Dunning-Kruger
“One of the painful things about our time is that
those who feel certainty are stupid, and those
with any imagination and understanding are
filled with doubt and indecision.”
—Bertrand Russell, The Triumph of Stupidity

9. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Ada Initiative
• Impostor Syndrome is the feeling that you
aren't actually qualified for the work you are
doing and will be discovered as a fraud.
• It is prevalent among women in open
tech/culture, many of whom have been
socialized to value other's opinion of their
work above their own, and to do things "by
the book." http://bit.ly/1dCpDBk

10. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Imposter Syndrome
• the higher the standards you like to set for
yourself,
• the more you are used to being an expert
• the more self critical and type-A you are
naturally inclined to be,
• the higher the chance that you will experience
this ‘Imposter Syndrome’
http://onforb.es/1iJTCG2

11. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Upside
Imposter Syndrome symptoms are a
signpost that you’re moving in the right
direction:
• into a new, expansive realm of possibility.
http://onforb.es/1iJTCG2

12. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

13. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Step one
Talk about the
issue. Denise Paolucci,
Ada Initiative board member and
Dreamwidth Studios co-founder
"Overcoming Impostor
Syndrome"Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

14. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Two
Watch your language.
Some ideas are self-
reinforcing.
Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

15. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Point three
Teach the things that
you know. Even if you
think you don't know
them. Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

16. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Four
Question the
corrections that other
people give to you.
Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

17. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Number five
Ask questions.
Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

18. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Six
Ask for perspective
checks from a
friend.Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

19. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Seven
List your
accomplishments
and own them.
Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

20. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Eight
Practice
accepting
compliments.

21. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Nine
Get more background
information for
comparisons.

22. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Ten
Remember that you are
awesome.
Really. I promise.
(And others feel this way,
too.) Watch video: http://bit.ly/1gLxuwJ
Read transcript: http://bit.ly/1rNDg4i

23. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com

24. © Cindy F. Solomon
cfsolomon@gmail.com
Thank you for sharing your precious time!
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