Moving the Needle: How SF Ruby Got to 18%

Moving the Needle How SF Ruby got to 18% http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/lwr/839344289/ Saturday, February 20, 2010 1

About me sarahmei (twitter, github) Photos copyright (clockwise starting from left) Christian Mehlfuhrer,Yukihiro Matsumoto, me, Pivotal Labs Saturday, February 20, 2010 2

SF Ruby Meetup • Big! • Active! • http://meetup.com/sfruby Saturday, February 20, 2010 3

The Problem 2% 98% Saturday, February 20, 2010 4

Jan 2009 Jan 2010 2% 18% 98% 82% Saturday, February 20, 2010 5

Jan 2011?? 50% 50% Saturday, February 20, 2010 6

Coming up... • Our process • What we’ve gotten out of it • Why is it so hard? Saturday, February 20, 2010 7

XTREME COMMUNITY 1. Set goals 2. Do events 3. Cultivate people Saturday, February 20, 2010 8

XTREME COMMUNITY 1. Set goals 2. Do events 3. Cultivate people Saturday, February 20, 2010 9

Set goals Focus on something you can ﬁx. Be speciﬁc! Saturday, February 20, 2010 10

Do Events Target Do the right kind of events. speciﬁc audiences. Saturday, February 20, 2010 11

Tie in your goals http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/limonada/214375219/ Saturday, February 20, 2010 12

Logistics Saturday, February 20, 2010 13

Logistics The easy part! Saturday, February 20, 2010 14

Logistics • Offer childcare • Offer nursing/pumping space • Get sponsors • Have an afterparty Saturday, February 20, 2010 15

MEN • Yes! • Get them involved • They make great volunteers • Give volunteers drink tickets for the afterparty • W2.0 attendance model Saturday, February 20, 2010 16

Cultivate people • Both sides of the pipeline • For women who’ve come to an event: • Follow up!! • Plan a series • Recruit women from the 1st to help with #2 Saturday, February 20, 2010 17

Get new women in • Talk your events up, to everyone you meet • Buy a domain, throw up wordpress...UPDATE it • Print business cards, give them out constantly • Blog about it on your technical blog • Talk about it on facebook & twitter • Do talks, BoFs, meetups, etc., at conferences Saturday, February 20, 2010 18

Get new women in • Be visible in your community • Put your name on events • Contribute to the mailing list • Ask questions after talks • DO TALKS! Saturday, February 20, 2010 19

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/davemorris/6057980/ Saturday, February 20, 2010 20

What did we get? Expected: • More women at monthly meetups • Some who haven’t come to a workshop (critical mass!) Saturday, February 20, 2010 21

What did we get? Unexpected: • More active & lively mailing list • More varied & interesting talks • More women volunteering to GIVE talks • MEN feel comfortable not knowing all the answers • More newbie-friendly events, by and for all genders Saturday, February 20, 2010 22

Why is this so hard? • You need a woman (or 2) willing to be visible. • You need leadership who thinks it’s worth doing (or at least, won’t get in the way) • It’s a social problem. Saturday, February 20, 2010 23

Why is this so hard? • You need a woman (or 2) willing to be visible. • You need leadership who thinks it’s worth doing (or at least, won’t get in the way) It’s a social problem Saturday, February 20, 2010 24

Questions Saturday, February 20, 2010 25

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Moving the Needle: How SF Ruby Got to 18%

by Sarah Mei on Feb 20, 2010

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