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Tech's Abundance Mindset: Navigating the Now for Women in Business
This is your Women in Business podcast.
Welcome back to Women in Business. Let’s get right into it.
Today we’re talking about women navigating the current economic landscape in tech, at a time when the numbers tell a tough story but the opportunity has never been bigger. According to CompTIA’s State of the Tech Workforce report, women now hold only about a quarter of tech jobs in the United States, even though we make up nearly half of the overall workforce. Exploding Topics reports that globally women hold roughly 27 percent of technology roles, and our representation actually slipped in recent years during the wave of tech layoffs.
So the first thing I want you to sit with is this: scarcity on paper, abundance in reality. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects double‑digit growth in computer and data jobs over the next few years. That means artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, and data science are expanding even as some traditional tech roles shrink. McKinsey and Company points out that women are more represented in fast‑growing digital roles like data science and product management than in legacy hardware roles. This is a moment to pivot into the growth lanes, not step back from tech altogether.
Second, we need to talk about money. AIPRM’s 2025 analysis of women in tech shows that women in technology roles earn roughly 15 to 16 percent less than men doing similar work. Exploding Topics found women in software development earning about 83 to 84 cents on the male dollar. That means you cannot afford to “wing it” on compensation. Research from McKinsey and LeanIn.org shows that women who change companies more strategically, rather than staying loyal through underpaid years, tend to close more of that gap. In this economy, negotiation is not a personality trait, it is a business system you run for yourself every time you change roles, get promoted, or take on more scope.
Third, we cannot ignore leadership. Nash Squared’s Digital Leadership Report shows that only about 14 percent of global tech leaders are women. StrongDM estimates that only around 17 percent of tech companies have a woman CEO. Yet McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report consistently finds that companies with more women in senior roles are more profitable and more innovative. So if you are a woman in mid‑career right now, the current economic volatility is not just risk; it is a leadership gap waiting for you to step into it. When budgets are tight, people who can both code and communicate, who can both ship and lead, become indispensable.
Fourth, entrepreneurship. WomenTech Network and other studies show that around two‑thirds of women entrepreneurs report difficulty accessing funding, and global venture capital for all founders is down in this economic cycle. But here is the nuance: female‑founded tech startups, according to multiple venture analyses, often generate more revenue per dollar invested. The capital pool may be smaller, but niche markets are exploding: femtech, caretech, climate tech, AI‑driven services for small business. If traditional venture is not opening its doors, this may be your signal to look at revenue‑first models, angel syndicates led by women, and government innovation grants.
Finally, let’s talk resilience and community. WomenTech Network reports that women in tech were more likely to be laid off during the recent downturn, often because they held less senior roles. At the same time, Digital Silk and other industry reports show that women who stay in the field are reporting better workplace experiences in organizations with strong diversity and inclusion policies. The pattern is clear: isolation is expensive, community is protective. Your network of women in tech, from local meetups in places like San Francisco, London, Lagos, and Bangalore, to global communities like Women Who Code or AnitaB.org, is not a “nice to have” – it is econo
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