Samsara: A Year in Review
“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.”
It's my 1 year Owliversary at Samsara!
Since I started 365 days ago, the company has added about 300 people, more than doubling the headcount. Time flies when you're having fun, and it also flies when you're really busy at a company in hypergrowth mode. I present some sporadic ramblings (and respective Jonathan Van Ness reactions) that come to mind:
On the timeline of Samsara projects
Like most jobs, the first few days at Samsara were dedicated to training, getting documents and administrative information filled out, learning the fun benefits, and, in Startupland at least, trying to sample every snack in the kitchens. I remember at the end of the week my manager came over to me and asked how everything was going.
"Not too bad, it's slow right? Good, it's just starting that way. It'll pick up, you'll see."
(Shortly thereafter, I saw.)
On my second week, I received details about a project that was very important and to be my highest priority. Cool, got it. Days (or was it hours?) later, I was told about a second project that also happened to be very important and was to be my highest priority. Trying to plan out my next few weeks, I asked my teammate if that meant I should actually prioritize the one with the closest deadline. He looked me dead in the eye, and said, "No, they both have the highest priority. You can do it, I believe in you." Ah, so this is the Samsara way.
The volume of work and projects has gone up and down from there, as hardware project cycles tend to go, and many of the tasks I used to have to juggle have been assigned to teams dedicated to help in specific areas of each project. The timeline to completing a project, however, hasn't changed much.
I'm learning quickly and I feel proud of my experiences thus far, I'm not as quick as I'd like to be yet, but I know I'm getting there.
On being a woman in tech
I consider myself very lucky to have grown up with two older brothers. Perhaps it's what eases the pain of trying to fit into a field that is uber (no pun intended) male dominated. Let me just tell you, imposter syndrome is so real.
During my second month, I asked the only other woman in the hardware team - a seasoned vet in both hardware and at Samsara - when the thoughts of being inadequate would go away. She told me it was normal to feel that way, and it might not be 6 to 8 months into my job that I'd start to feel comfortable. As an impatient person, having to wait another 4 to 6 months just to feel like I belonged at my company felt like a lifetime, even when I knew some of my male peers walked in on their first day like they owned the place. However it really did take me that long, and that is an unfortunate truth.
My first 3-4 months were a struggle. I worked hard, but it never felt like it was good enough or fast enough. I received curt feedback, with no caramelized sugar coating, and I took it personally. It was overwhelming to have to juggle not just my workload but trying to fit into a new job as well as get over the fact that I could go an entire day without having a work conversation with another woman.
What kept me sane at work - aside from being a strong, independent woman - was capitalizing on the fact that I had some very supportive and knowledgable male teammates. They asked how I was doing and patiently explained things to me when I asked what probably seemed like very silly questions. I looked at them like the two older brothers I already have, and I tried (and continue to try) to emulate their best design practices and assertive decision making.
While I still find it hard to not have that many women around me in the office, I know Samsara is doing its best to improve the male to female ratio. And that's on all of us too, to reach out to our networks and be on the lookout to recruit diverse talent. In the meantime, I make sure to appreciate the ladies around me, and my best days are the ones I get to catch up with a lady friend at work, whether it's a short conversation running into each other in the bathroom or on a casual walk down the block to Philz to grab a chocolate chip cookie.
Being in the Bay Area and constantly being surrounded by men has also made me appreciate and get even more inspired by the female friends I have in my life outside of work. We lift each other up and keep each other grounded, and it's so wonderful and necessary because we go through the same struggles, even if we're not in the same roles or industries.
That being said... To all the women reading this, we're hiring!
On feeling very, very, very fortunate
I went camping this weekend! And man, being in nature and taking a step back from my daily habits really helps me put my life in perspective. It's funny how you can be standing on a cliff looking into the spooky dark abyss of the ocean and suddenly all the things you love come pouring into your mind. I forget how so very grateful I feel for having an amazing job at an amazing company, working with some of the coolest people ever.
My job! I get to design something, from my brain, and see it through fruition? It didn't exist before, and now I'm holding it in my hand! It affects people's daily lives behind the scenes! And the product I worked on is getting used? In a way that affects my life too? I like beer! I like cheese! And Samsara products ensure that my beer and cheese are at prime deliciousness when I consume them? Wow. Just wow. The responsibilities are heavy, but the reward is awesome. Here is an action shot of me installing the cargo sensor I designed and very much NOT posing for a photoshoot:
Looking up at the future!
Courtesy of Samsara
Anyway, back to my point:
It's not our cofounders' first rodeo at starting a company. They've done it before, very successfully so (so much so our CEO was rated Glassdoor's Top CEO of 2018!). They work so damn hard you end up wondering if they've figured out a way to freeze time, or if they don't sleep, or if they're even real humans, and how did they do that while building a family? And how are they still so calm? You get my point.
And my team! While the rest of the company has been growing, our little product design team has stayed pretty small, allowing us to become quite close. We support and challenge each other, go on trips, accidentally match outfits, play doubles PD foosball, and get rosé and cheese on most Fridays! It feels great to work hard alongside other people who are working hard and also to be super goofy and enjoy their company outside of a serious work setting.
Oh, and the snacks! I love snacks, how American of me. It's truly a wonderful time to be alive for innovative snacks.
Really, I could go on and on. It's so interesting to be part of a company that started pretty small and is growing so large. Every week is different, and it keeps me on my toes.
To Year 2, may the progress continue, and see you in a flash!
-j
