Gimme One Reason to Stay Here! by Nidhi Gupta

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Why Stay In Tech? A Journey of Constant Growth and Learning

Thanks everyone for being here. In this session, I'm hoping to share my nearly 30-year journey in technology, and why I'm still doing what I do. Let's start with a brief introduction: my name is Neri Gupta, CEO and founder of Diversity.com, a community dedicated to increasing the presence of women and non-binary engineering leaders in tech.

Why Should You Continue in Your Career? Insights From My Journey

If you're here, you're likely at a stage in your career where you're contemplating about pushing forward or taking a different path. I've been there, and it's that critical point in my career I want to address.

My journey has taught me a very important lesson. The key to staying motivated and passionate in tech, and probably any other field, lies in the pursuit of continuous growth and learning.

A. Breaking into Different Verticals – A Tactic for Constant Growth

Initial years of my tech leadership career were centered around learning new things. To push myself beyond my existing knowledge base, I pivoted to a different vertical — leaving the comfort of a known domain. This strategy taught me more about the new business space, providing a broader perspective and molding me as an efficient leader.

B. Expanding Scope – Encountering New Challenges

With career progression, I started to extend my role beyond engineering. This led to a wave of fresh challenges and learning opportunities, positively impacting my companies and strengthening my leadership skills.

C. Altering the Scale – Small Startup to Multinational

The method of executive operation differs significantly between a scrappy startup and a multinational corporation. It was yet another hill to be climbed. The varied experiences made me mentally agile and nimble, an additive skill essential for any tech executive.

D. More than a Title – Discovering My Identity Beyond Tech

After 20 years in executive leadership, I underwent an identity crisis. I had to remind myself that my identity was not synonymous with my title. I started investing time in something I loved, arts, to explore the realms beyond tech. This journey, filled with introspection and self-discovery, led me to a crucial turning point.

E. Giving Back – The Joy in Uplifting Others

In the final act of self-discovery, I stumbled upon my passion - giving back. Having experienced the joy of seeing my team members and mentees grow in their careers, I wanted to replicate it outwardly. Volunteering with different organizations provided me a new perspective. It not only made my journey richer, but filled me with a sense of fulfillment.

One such striking moment was attending a dinner with fifteen other female CTOs. This meetup inspired me to establish Diversity.com. A mission-driven company that takes immense pride in uplifting others, particularly women, in technology.

Staying in Tech for the Right Reasons

So what's the takeaway? Here are four essentials based on my journey to keep yourself motivated in a rerunning tech movie:

  • Continuous Growth
  • Never-ending Learning
  • Discovering your Passion
  • Uplifting Others

Note that the journey is not about the title, money, or perceived external success. It's about deriving joy and fulfillment by committing to continuous growth, learning, following your passion, and making a difference in others' lives.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or join our network at diversity.com. Let’s keep growing, keep learning, keep contributing, and through all, keep uplifting one another. Thank you.


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