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Daring to be Different: Stories and Tips from a Woman Leader in Tech
This life was not supposed to be hers. No one that saw Raji Rajagopalan as a scrawny six-year-old motherless child living in a cramped flat would have thought that she'd one day become a leader at a top software company. Too many things were stacked against her. How did she get here? What does it take for a woman of color with a turbulent life to lead in the technology industry?
How can YOU build a spectacular career for yourself, despite whatever challenges you are facing?
In this book, Rajagopalan gives you her firsthand account of exactly that. She shares her stories of growing up with biases and becoming a leader in tech. She also shares her career lessons and practical tips, including how to calm your meeting jitters, how to deal with difficult people, how to make good career decisions, how to storytell at work, and why you should be more audacious in your career.
Today Rajagopalan is a first-generation immigrant in America and a woman of color in technology. She has run teams of engineers across continents and built successful products despite being a ‘misfit’ in most corporate rooms. But she didn’t start there. Success is possible no matter where you’re from. With the right pointers and practices, we have it within us to dream big, lead fabulous lives, and dare to be different.
How can YOU build a spectacular career for yourself, despite whatever challenges you are facing?
In this book, Rajagopalan gives you her firsthand account of exactly that. She shares her stories of growing up with biases and becoming a leader in tech. She also shares her career lessons and practical tips, including how to calm your meeting jitters, how to deal with difficult people, how to make good career decisions, how to storytell at work, and why you should be more audacious in your career.
Today Rajagopalan is a first-generation immigrant in America and a woman of color in technology. She has run teams of engineers across continents and built successful products despite being a ‘misfit’ in most corporate rooms. But she didn’t start there. Success is possible no matter where you’re from. With the right pointers and practices, we have it within us to dream big, lead fabulous lives, and dare to be different.
- GenresSelf Help
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2022
13 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 4, 2023
Raji is a force in the industry and a complete inspiration to so many. This book is a great capture of what I’ve practically called a window into her life and a mentor for mine. So many great examples that resonate with my own. Thank you!
As many other pieces, this section really stayed with me… I may turn it into poster(s) that’ll serve as great reminder snippets!
“To recap, here are some of those lessons that I have shared in this book.
Do not shy away from speaking up, asserting your rights, or sharing your perspective.
Watch, learn, adapt, and reinvent yourself often.
You deserve a career and to stand on your own legs.
Lift others behind you.
Be intentional about your ambitions, and how you want to lead your life.
Failures can fuel success. Rejections do not portend permanent misery.
Embrace the unknown and raise your hand for bold, epic opportunities.
Communicating well–whether it is through speaking or writing–is a key skill for your tech career. Practice and master that skill.
Be audacious. Take some risks with the projects you sign up for.
A lot of us constantly compare ourselves to others. This often comes from how we have been educated. The “star pupil syndrome” can hurt your emotional well-being and can affect your work, so it is best to stop being victim to it.
Learn to deal with your negative self-talk. One of the most effective ways I have found is to develop your own mental mantras.
You have a right to your voice and perspectives. Voice them, but voice them well.
Sift through the stories you tell yourself. Deal with them with mindfulness.
Choose what you care about. Do not concern yourself with other people’s reactions.
Do not dwell on your screw-ups. Learn from your failures.
Make time for important things.
Career success has four components: passion, excellence, impact, and exposure.”
As many other pieces, this section really stayed with me… I may turn it into poster(s) that’ll serve as great reminder snippets!
“To recap, here are some of those lessons that I have shared in this book.
Do not shy away from speaking up, asserting your rights, or sharing your perspective.
Watch, learn, adapt, and reinvent yourself often.
You deserve a career and to stand on your own legs.
Lift others behind you.
Be intentional about your ambitions, and how you want to lead your life.
Failures can fuel success. Rejections do not portend permanent misery.
Embrace the unknown and raise your hand for bold, epic opportunities.
Communicating well–whether it is through speaking or writing–is a key skill for your tech career. Practice and master that skill.
Be audacious. Take some risks with the projects you sign up for.
A lot of us constantly compare ourselves to others. This often comes from how we have been educated. The “star pupil syndrome” can hurt your emotional well-being and can affect your work, so it is best to stop being victim to it.
Learn to deal with your negative self-talk. One of the most effective ways I have found is to develop your own mental mantras.
You have a right to your voice and perspectives. Voice them, but voice them well.
Sift through the stories you tell yourself. Deal with them with mindfulness.
Choose what you care about. Do not concern yourself with other people’s reactions.
Do not dwell on your screw-ups. Learn from your failures.
Make time for important things.
Career success has four components: passion, excellence, impact, and exposure.”
December 19, 2022
I am a tech professional and several things that the author talks about in this book resonate with me. Getting nervous during public speaking, being able to collaborate with challenging people, having a growth mindset about growing your skills, being nimble about growing your skills - all of these are valuable topics for any tech professional.
I learned a ton from this book - for e.g., success in career comes from 4 specific components (passion, value creation, exposure, and excellence), what framework to use when one thinks about a job change and so on. Raji's writing style is vivid and smooth. The book flows well, even though it is a collection of essays that are not chronologically placed. If there is one thing I'd have wanted more, it would be to hear more about other leaders that inspired the author in her long and impressive career.
Being an underrepresented minority in tech from a challenging background, it is inspiring to see that Raji has been able to scale such heights in her career. She has written a great book that I plan to recommend to more folks in my family and my network.
I learned a ton from this book - for e.g., success in career comes from 4 specific components (passion, value creation, exposure, and excellence), what framework to use when one thinks about a job change and so on. Raji's writing style is vivid and smooth. The book flows well, even though it is a collection of essays that are not chronologically placed. If there is one thing I'd have wanted more, it would be to hear more about other leaders that inspired the author in her long and impressive career.
Being an underrepresented minority in tech from a challenging background, it is inspiring to see that Raji has been able to scale such heights in her career. She has written a great book that I plan to recommend to more folks in my family and my network.
January 9, 2023
Overall, as a debut book, it is a great start and offers real coaching and mentoring advice. I like the simple style of storytelling. Each chapter deals with a single aspect and shows the learning with effective examples. Part 1- Beginnings, focuses on her personal life. She had a tough childhood, but she stayed positive despite the odds. Personally, I would have loved to see some more examples from her initial year in college on her tech journey. Part 2 – Professional Advice, where she shares her career growth, learning, and experience in tech. She gives real examples of dealing with issues at the workplace, career growth, practicing presentation skills, learning from feedback, having a positive approach to work, and time management. Each aspect really highlights steps towards success in any field. Great ending in the last chapter with the Q/A format. Looking forward to her future writings.
May 23, 2023
Daring to Be Different" by Raji is an extraordinary book. I read it twice, cover to cover, because of its incredible relevance. The book offers great tips and wisdom that can be easily put into practice, thanks to its well-structured chapters. The non-sequential order allows for seamless reading without losing context. Each chapter is short, ending with a concise summary or takeaway.
I was already a fan of Raji's engaging storytelling from her blog, and her first book exceeded my expectations. "Daring to Be Different" is a transformative gem that inspires embracing individuality and pursuing dreams. It's a must-read for personal growth. I'm grateful for this remarkable work and eagerly await more from Raji in the future.
I was already a fan of Raji's engaging storytelling from her blog, and her first book exceeded my expectations. "Daring to Be Different" is a transformative gem that inspires embracing individuality and pursuing dreams. It's a must-read for personal growth. I'm grateful for this remarkable work and eagerly await more from Raji in the future.
August 13, 2024
Pretty good but falls into the same traps as many bloggers turned authors. Some chapters are so short and similar to other topics that the 20+ chapters could have been consolidated into 10 really good chapters. A lot of the same pitfalls that "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" falls into.
I really enjoyed Raji's point of view and insights tho! I just wish she had an assertive editor to help her message really sing.
I really enjoyed Raji's point of view and insights tho! I just wish she had an assertive editor to help her message really sing.
April 2, 2025
Really great advice throughout & easy to read with her incredible storytelling mixed with shorter chapters. There are several highlights I intend to come back to in this book throughout my career change ❤️
January 9, 2023
Standard career advice but the raw stories from the author makes them stick. Nice short read!
January 15, 2023
Easy to read. There are so many great advice in the book. The storyteller and writing style are excellent 👌
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews