This isn’t meant to be particularly deep writing, more of an observation. I recently noticed that in the fields where I operate, my role models and inspirations are almost exclusively women. And I kind of love that.
Because let’s not kid ourselves, it’s 2025 and the personalities that are dominating the news are basically the embodiment of toxic masculinity. Even without this special cast of highly mediatised tech bros and wanna-be alpha males, men are still over-represented in leadership positions, both in politics and in the corporate sector.
So you would almost expect a white-man-who-plays-with-computers to be inspired by other men, as there must be some guys in the pack that will align with his values and vision of the world.
Well apparently not. Meredith Whittaker’s vision of the world and the future speaks to me much more than Sam Altman’s. (I once said to someone that every one of Meredith’s research papers (more), could be turned into a full time project to make the world a better place, if you want a sense of how highly I think of her).
But why is that? Part of the answer might be that women actually make up a majority of the charity sector. And so having worked in that sector, I interacted with more women than one would in a tech startup, multiplying the chances of meeting inspiring people. Another part of the answer might be that women have to do more to succeed professionally, and therefore will put in more effort, which can result in better work.
But I suspect there’s something more here. What I admire in these women is a mix of many things: their determination, their intelligence, their knowledge and their audacity. And what usually sells it and makes me think “I want to be more like her”, is the humanity they share. It’s never about stepping above others, it’s about improving the situation for all. Never about accumulating power, always about challenging it.
Well, also, what they do is so damn impressive, inspiring, comprehensive, bold…