Two women entrepreneurs create fake male co-founder to beat startup sexism

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/08/29/two-women-entrepreneurs-create.html

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Hollywood did it in 1996 (based on a French film from 1979).

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Let’s hope Pierce Brosnan never hears about this.

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Side story: Whoopie Goldberg couldn’t get anyone to produce that movie until she made up a fictional director named “Donald Petrie.”

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I like how they last named the profile Mann :joy::joy::joy::joy::joy:

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I guess “Guy Mann” would have been too obvious.

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Only if you’re a lizard creature.

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Jesustine Christ. What the %&#$&!@ is wrong with men? As one who can’t comprehend this stupid behavior.

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Not sure if you are male or female, but as a guy I think the thing to do is have a good hard think and make sure I am not one of those guys. And also not assuming that I am not because I don’t think it to be the case.

I spent several years working in an office that was about 80% (brilliant and talented) women. I have always considered myself a feminist, and tried to be a good one. At the same time, I often talked more than most others in meetings. Looking back I hope it wasn’t some form of unconscious mansplaining or sexism on my part. I hope not, but in the future I’m going to be even more careful…

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When I started company a few years ago, I immediately made my wife the owner. My reasons were party practical and partly cynical. But I’m still the public face of the company, in a very testosterone-driven industry. I wonder what kind of walls (if any) would materialize if I was out of the picture.

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Same. I wonder what someone else might have said if I wasn’t using up all the oxygen. I guess we’ll never know.

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Ah, the advantages of an epicene name. But I’ve had similar experiences as you relate, except I don’t generally talk as much in meetings, probably due to an introverted personality rather than gender.

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I have no problem with “name and shame”, but it’s much harder to find the names of businesses that don’t engage in discriminatory practices than lists of those that do.

I would prefer to patronize businesses that do not discriminate against women, but I have very little direct way to find those businesses - so I really appreciate when those of you who do have the ability to run the test share the info.

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If they’re looking to replace Keith Mann, I hear Ed Chambers is recently on the market.

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"After setting out to build Witchsy, it didn’t take long for them to notice a pattern: In many cases, the outside developers and graphic designers they enlisted to help often took a condescending tone over email. These collaborators, who were almost always male, were often short, slow to respond, and vaguely disrespectful in correspondence. In response to one request, a developer started an email with the words “Okay, girls…”

I’ve seen this in action at work. And in meetings, the women would be talked over.

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Early on a web developer they brought on to help build the site tried to stealthily delete everything after Gazin declined to go on a date with him.

A neighbor of my mother’s reported me to CPS for child abuse after my mother turned him down for a date. I was living with my mom at the time. I know this, because he came up and told me to my face that he was reporting me. He didn’t mention the date part, but it was weird that I’d been living there for two years and this only happened after the date request.

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Was actually relieved this story didn’t end in fraud charges.

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Sorry, I just don’t get it. Have to communicate with women every day. Most of the “Implementations” people are women. I value a good rapport with anyone I have to deal with. I always try to respond timely with well thought out responses. I have been thanked repeatedly for explaining to people why something can’t be done or why what they are asking for isn’t the best way to do things or against policy.

I also used to do freelance webdesign, and had several women clients. It never would have crossed my mind to ask anyone out. Maybe if I was really into someone I would after the job was done, but you don’t shit where you eat, so to speak. Nor would I ever dream of revenge for being turned down on a date.

Am I just overly polite in this world? I just really don’t understand why so many people treat others differently based on sex :confused:

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