Why do so many smart and accomplished people immediately discount their abilities and call themselves “non-technical”? Software isn’t magic. It’s a skill. One that can be learned — if you have the right mindset. You don’t have to go to a fancy school, spend thousands of dollars, or move across the country. This knowledge is available to you no matter where you live and no matter what industry you come from. All you need to do is change the way you think. In this talk, Andrea Goulet will share her journey from not knowing how to code to becoming a industry leader. You'll get immediately actionable insights that will help you shatter glass ceilings, increase confidence, and grow your technical prowess.

1. BECOMING TECHNICALOVERCOMING YOUR DOUBT, INTIMIDATION, AND FEAR OF SOFTWARE
By Andrea Goulet
Co-Founder & CEO Corgibytes @andreagoulet
becoming
technicalOVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF CODING AND SUPERCHARGE YOUR CAREER
ANDREA GOULET
CEO, CORGIBYTES
BIT.LY/BECOMING-TECHNICAL

2. @andreagoulet
TECHNICAL OR NON-TECHNICAL?

3. @andreagoulet
“Andrea? She’s non-technical.”-my business partner on a prominent podcast

4. @andreagoulet
“I’m the CEO
of a software
company! Of
course I’m
technical!”
-angry me

5. @andreagoulet
“But that’s not how you
introduced yourself to the new
client yesterday. I just repeated
what you said. Verbatim.”
-confused business partner

6. @andreagoulet
“Seriously? I said that?”
-embarrassed me

7. @andreagoulet
“Seriously? I said that?”
-embarrassed me
“Yeah. You did. Why?”
-supportive partner

8. @andreagoulet
1. PERFECTIONISM
2. CONFIDENCE GAP
3. GROWTH MINDSET
4. IMPOSTER SYNDROME

9. @andreagoulet
PERFECTIONISM

10. @andreagoulet
We remodel
existing
software to
make it stable,
scalable, and
secure.
OMG! SCOTT,
I TOTALLY FAILED
THAT LATIN TEST!

11. @andreagoulet
We remodel
existing
software to
make it stable,
scalable, and
secure.
DIDN’T YOU GET A 98?

12. @andreagoulet
We remodel
existing
software to
make it stable,
scalable, and
secure.
TECHNICALLY, YES.
BUT I LIKE TO THINK
THAT ANYTHING LESS
THAN 100 IS FAILING.

13. @andreagoulet
COMPUTER
SCIENCE
MARKETING &
BUSINESS LAW

14. @andreagoulet

15. @andreagoulet
I’M NOT TYPE A

16. @andreagoulet
I’M TYPE A PLUS!

17. HEALTHY STRIVING IS SELF-
FOCUSED: HOW CAN I IMPROVE?
PERFECTIONISM IS OTHER-FOCUSED:
WHAT WILL THEY THINK?
@andreagouletsource: h*p://www.amazon.com/Daring-Greatly-Courage-Vulnerable-Transforms/dp/1592408419/

18. “PERFECTIONISM IS A SELF DESTRUCTIVE AND
ADDICTIVE BELIEF SYSTEM THAT FUELS THIS
PRIMARY THOUGHT: IF I LOOK PERFECT, AND
DO EVERYTHING PERFECTLY, I CAN AVOID OR
MINIMIZE THE PAINFUL FEELINGS OF SHAME,
JUDGMENT, AND BLAME.”
@andreagoulet
-BRENÉ BROWN
source: h*p://www.amazon.com/Daring-Greatly-Courage-Vulnerable-Transforms/dp/1592408419/

19. @mscottford
SELF COMPASSION
1. SELF KINDNESS
2. COMMON HUMANITY
3. MINDFULNESS

20. @mscottford
1. SELF KINDNESS
HOW WOULD YOU TALK
TO A LOVED ONE?

21. @mscottford
2. COMMON HUMANITY

22. @mscottford
3. MINDFULNESS

23. @andreagoulet
FIXED/GROWTH
MINDSET

24. @andreagoulet
SOME PEOPLE ARE BORN KNOWING HOW TO CODE. NOT ME. I’LL NEVER
UNDERSTAND THIS STUFF.

25. @andreagoulet
I HAD TO WORK REALLY HARD. I THINK IT’S THE SYNTAX THAT’S TRIPPING
YOU UP. YOU’RE A NATURAL WITH ALGORITHMS & PATTERNS.

26. FIXED MINDSET
@andreagoulet
Believing your qualities are carved in stone creates an
urgency to prove yourself over and over again.
This leads to perfectionism.
source: h*ps://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve

27. GROWTH MINDSET
@andreagoulet
Believing you may not know everything now, but
trusting that you can learn, grow, change, and adapt.
Absolutely required for success in software.

28. YET
@andreagoulet

29. @mscottford
ADA
LOVELACE
GRACE
HOPPER

30. @andreagoulet
CONFIDENCE
GAP

31. @andreagoulet
I CAN’T CALL MYSELF “TECHNICAL” UNTIL I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING
ABOUT EVERY TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS EVER MADE EVER.

32. @andreagoulet
THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING.

33. @andreagoulet
WOMENMEN
source: h*p://www.theatlanKc.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/359815/
WHEN ASKED: WHAT % OF QUALIFICATIONS
DO YOU NEED TO MEET TO APPLY FOR A JOB?

34. @andreagoulet
60%
WOMENMEN
source: h*p://www.theatlanKc.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/359815/
WHEN ASKED: WHAT % OF QUALIFICATIONS
DO YOU NEED TO MEET TO APPLY FOR A JOB?

35. @andreagoulet
60% 100%
WOMENMEN
source: h*p://www.theatlanKc.com/magazine/archive/2014/05/the-confidence-gap/359815/
WHEN ASKED: WHAT % OF QUALIFICATIONS
DO YOU NEED TO MEET TO APPLY FOR A JOB?

36. @andreagoulet
TAKE 60% RISKS

37. @andreagoulet

38. @andreagoulet
IMPOSTER
SYNDROME

39. @andreagoulet
ONE OF THESE DAYS EVERYONE WILL
FIND OUT I’M NOT REALLY TECHNICAL.

40. @andreagoulet
WEREN’T YOU NAMED ONE OF LINKEDIN’S
TOP 10 PROFESSIONALS IN SOFTWARE?

41. IMPOSTER SYNDROME
@andreagoulet
Chronic self-doubt that overrides any feelings of
success, even in the face of external proof.
High-achieving perfectionists are most susceptible.
source: h*ps://hbr.org/2008/05/overcoming-imposter-syndrome/

42. @andreagoulet
OVERCOMING IMPOSTER SYNDROME
1. LOOK AT THE FACTS
2. SEEK SUPPORT
3. REFRAME YOUR ARGUMENT

43. @andreagoulet
1. LOOK AT THE FACTS

44. @andreagoulet
“At the helm, leading our vision and strategy is
Andrea. She has a knack for solving complex
business problems with simple solutions and is
passionate about user experience.
11/25/2014
DOES MY BIO ACCURATELY
REFLECT MY EXPERIENCE?

45. @andreagoulet
“At the helm, leading our vision and strategy is
Andrea. Don’t be fooled by her decade of
marketing experience, though. Andrea can sling
some solid code. She has a knack for solving
complex business problems with simple solutions
and is passionate about user experience.
12/2/2014
DOES MY BIO ACCURATELY
REFLECT MY EXPERIENCE?

46. @andreagoulet
“At the helm, leading our vision and strategy is
Andrea. We’re making her brag about herself here
because we’re really proud of how she’s helped
shape the conversation in the software industry.
5/26/2017
DOES MY BIO ACCURATELY
REFLECT MY EXPERIENCE?

47. @andreagoulet
2. SEEK SUPPORT

48. @andreagoulet
2. SEEK SUPPORT

49. @andreagoulet
3. REFRAME

50. @andreagoulet
Am I technical or non-technical?

51. @andreagoulet
BOTH.

52. @andreagoulet

53. @andreagoulet
BE YOUR OWN FAIRY GODMOTHER

54. @andreagoulet
becomingtechnicalbook.com

55. @andreagoulet
Contact Info
@andreagoulet
corgibytes.com