Unfortunately, even in 2024, female startup founders are few and far between. A recent survey from Startup Genome found that only 15% of startup founders are female, and when asked, just 22% of people can name a single famous female in tech, despite brands like YouTube, Oracle, and Canva being run by women. We hear about female serial entrepreneurs even less…
SUBSCRIBE: New episode drops every Monday! Subscribe to How She Does It on Apple Podcasts so you never miss the latest!
But Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is one of those women. She’s sold not one but THREE startups — but her journey to get there has been paved with many successes and failures, both of which she’s extremely proud. “People sometimes give me a lot of credit for being confident,” Cassidy says. “I’m confident because I have a resilience to failure. I know that I am not unstoppable, and that I am fallible. If something doesn’t work out the way I imagined, I know it will work out a different way.”
She previously founded a video shopping platform, a financial data platform, and her most recent sale was Boardlist, a board candidate discovery platform that helps board-ready executives find their first seats, and helps companies find diverse board talent.
Cassidy not only knows when to sell a company, but she also recognizes when it’s time to leave. She thinks it’s imperative to recognize when you’ve maxed out in a role, and is an advocate for always taking small risks and seeking out new challenges. “Not moving is the riskiest thing of all because while you are staying still, choice-making is going on around you. So then, you are not responsive to the environment you’re in,” Cassidy says.
Listen to to learn more about Cassidy’s philosophy in her role as CEO at Xero, her philosophy on hiring people who have experienced failure, and why she believes it’s imperative to take risks in your career — large or small.
MORE ON HERMONEY:
- 3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Build A Team To Take Them To The Next Level
- Should You Use A ChatGPT Resume?
- How She Does It Podcast Episode 5: Redefining Power with Katty Kay and Claire Shipman
Join us! Snag all the latest episodes, savvy budgeting tips, investing advice and even giveaways via the HerMoney Newsletter at Hermoney.com/subscribe!
This podcast is proudly supported by iShares. BLACKROCK and iSHARES are trademarks of BlackRock, Inc. or its affiliates (together “BlackRock”). The information provided in this communication is solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as advice or an investment recommendation. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of BlackRock. BlackRock is not affiliated with HerMoney