It's TED Talks Daily. I'm Elise Hu. One of the most unfortunate things about our work culture is that we're supposed to work like we don't parent and parent as if we don't work. In today's talk from TED Women 2020, startup builder Tracy Young gives a raw, painfully honest talk about the constraints women

face when we try to adapt to a male-led business culture. She inspires us to change business

culture instead, so it's better for everyone. A quick warning that this talk features a story about

miscarriage and may not be suitable for all listeners.

My parents were refugees of communism. Growing up, I watched my mom and dad work two full-time jobs without ever complaining so my siblings and I could live a better life than they did.

I was proud to be their daughter, and I understood the immigrant part of my identity well.

The female part of my identity, however, was much harder for me to own. I never wanted to draw

attention to my gender because I was afraid I wouldn't be taken seriously as a CEO. So I focused my

energy on the things that I thought were important, stuff like making my team laugh.

I remember I would painstakingly write and rehearse jokes before every all hands.

Or I'd be the first one in the office and the last one out because I thought that these things mattered.

When I was six months pregnant, one of our large competitors reached out wanting to talk

about acquiring us.

Every startup wants the option to be bought, but it really got under my skin when during conversations

with these strangers who I was negotiating with, their eyes would sometimes

wander to my pregnant belly. I went into labor the same night of our user conference. The weeks

leading up to the event, watching our team prepare for our big product unveiling, I wondered how

many male CEOs would skip their own conference for the

birth of their child.

I assumed most would.

But I kept reasoning with myself that if I wasn't pregnant, there'd be no question whether I'd

be there or not, so I have to be there.

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