Women Rule the Internet – #AlphaFemaleFriday

A few weeks ago, I presented my university senior honors thesis based on the principles of modern entrepreneurship, tech startups, and today’s service economy. It was entitled Mom and Pop Virtual Shop: Family Entrepreneurship in Technology as an Enabler of Tourism. Finishing and presenting my thesis got me thinking about what it means to be a woman in today’s information-technology-driven society. I stumbled upon an article from 2011 by Aileen Lee called “Why Women Rule the Internet”. Three years later, I still find Aileen’s findings to be relevant.

Aileen Lee, Founder of Cowboy Ventures and Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

The following is an excerpt from part of my published thesis:

In a TechCrunch article from 2011, Aileen Lee discusses “Why Women Rule the Internet.” Women in any entrepreneurial role are pivotal for any productive, modern society. Now that more women are in more leadership roles, especially in the technology sector, we are beginning to see just how much women are truly capable of in a career path originally intended for the world of men only (Lee, A., 2011).

There are several reasons, Aileen explains, why women are so successful on the internet. One of the reasons is that women are naturally inclined to plan ahead than men. For example, Chegg, a website known for its college textbook rental program, reports that more than 65% of its renters are female. Women also “seem to care more about saving money, and are more likely to be influenced by a friend’s recommendation” (Lee, A., 2011). More e-commerce companies are popping up which are founded for women by women. Female consumers account over for 80% of consumer spending (Lee, A., 2011).

 

It is not just the world of ecommerce. Women are also driving forces in social network and social media websites. “According to an early Facebook team member, women played a key role in the early days by adopting three core activities—posting to walls, adding photos and joining groups—at a much higher rate than males” (Lee, A., 2011). Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and the author of the book Lean In, explained that Facebook might not be the multibillion dollar company that it is today if were not for the power and influence of female users.

 

Women are crucial movers and shakers for any tech team, or any startup for that matter. The statistics and figures are clear. Women need to be in key positions in firms if they are to grow and be successful. As Lee explains, “women are the routers and amplifiers of the social web. And they are the rocket fuel of ecommerce. The ongoing debate about women in tech has been missing a key insight. If you figure out how to harness the power of female customers, you can rock the world” (Lee, A., 2011). In order for a technology firm to succeed, women must be part of that firm in pivotal roles. More women need to be a part of that coveted C-Suite.

 

Ruzwana Bashir, CEO of Peek.

Cheers,

XOXO,

Kelly

@bobellerz

@alphafemsociety

References

Lee, A. (2011). Why women rule the internet. TechCrunch. Retrieved from

http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/20/why-women-rule-the-internet/

Gonzales, K.R. (2014). Mom and pop virtual shop: family entrepreneurship in technology as an enabler

of tourism. Fairleigh Dickinson University.