This Woman Who Sold Her First Startup For $1.4 Billion Has Simple Advice For Future Female Entrepreneurs
Aug 30, 2014, 18:10 IST
DataGravityPaula Long, CEO DataGravity Some of the largest companies in Silicon Valley, such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and Apple, released diversity statistics recently, revealing that only about 30% of their workforce are female.
Gender inequality is a problem that's been discussed for years in the tech space. Although it's improving, many believe females are still underrepresented in this field.
Paula Long, who sold her first startup EqualLogic to Dell for $1.4 billion in 2008, is one of the more successful female entrepreneurs in the tech industry. She believes the best way to fix this problem is rather simple: better supply.
"What we need is lots of young women getting into tech, and then you'll see the number move up," Long told Business Insider. "If you don't have a good supply, then you won't see people elevating to the next levels."
Long also had some sound advice for entrepreneurs looking to break into the tech industry, saying that it's important to remember that you're the one in control.
"Don't think there's something you can't do just because somebody else says you can't," she said. "It's your choice whether you do it or not. And remember, you don't have to do it if you don't like it. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you have to do it."
Long has moved on to her next startup called DataGravity, which provides data-aware storage systems. It basically offers data centers with software that has the ability to automatically analyze data in your storage.
The company has raised $42 million so far, with funding from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Charles River, and General Catalyst.
But most importantly, Long emphasized how crucial it is to prepare for failure as an entrepreneur.
"Most startups don't succeed and technology is rough and tumble," she said. "It either works or doesn't, there's no softness about it. So if you want to start a company and succeed, you have to be willing to fail."