Ahead of Women's Day: Celebrating Achievements

Ahead of women's day, here to drop some W: 🌟🌟

In the last year:

1) Sold my startup, acquired by a fantastic company in our vertical, made some money (FINALLY) and now have the AMAZING TITLE OF "Director of Payments".

2) Gave birth a few weeks ago - BABY SMILED AT ME TODAY.

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

Doing both in the same timeframe was emotionally draining and also, just, purely, physically hard.

Third trimester discomfort + deal negotiations are NO JOKE.

First trimester nausea + vendor DD is not easy.

Nothing about my journey over the last 4 years has been easy.

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

Also - I was lonely. So few women I could talk to. Even fewer men.

1) Female
2) Brown, in my 30s, not STEM bg
3) Already married
4) Already a mom
5) Running a startup
6) Funded
7) Had to pivot
8) Fintech
9) Niche market w hazaar complications
10) Pregnant while selling company

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

There were 2 women i constantly relied on.@teninthemorning @shreyo_rao are both successful powerful women who picked me up when all i wanted to do was cry in bed from sheer exhaustion and fear and imposter syndrome.

thanks babes!

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

ahead of this phase, i got some solid advice and sensible negotiation tactics from a bunch of ppl - thanks to my co-founder's @arnav1712 's amazing network and also @banglani @vinaykesari @nikhilkumarks - your words stuck with me.

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

everytime i look at a startup acquisition thread - the core question i would ask is - did they make bank (middle class brain).

Here's my answer -

I made some bank, a lot more is tied to how we perform next, i didn't do great for my investors. All our investors were champs.

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

I'm on maternity leave now - and taking time to emotionally recharge and physically heal.

(giving birth - uhm - suffice to say its the hardest thing I've done physically).

In a few weeks, I'll be back PROPERLY and here's what I need from you all.

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

1. Please amplify all women at work, play, in life, on traffic while driving, etc.

2. Also, please amplify me a LOT. I've done well and I've worked really hard and I want to be able to rest a tiny bit on my tiny laurels.

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

3. From a work perspective - the new products from our team need critical thinking and support from the general US fintech community.

As an Indian woman with a hard-to-pronounce-name sitting in a different time zone...

I'm working hard. And community would help! Intro me!

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

Lastly: girls - my lowest point mentally was at the end of the deal negotiations deciding to disclose my pregnancy. I was v scared.

I had a deep fear that the deal could be called off cos I'd have to go away on leave almost as soon as deal closed/baby was born. 🙁😿

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

I agonized - wanted team and founding members to do well and make money. I worried the pregnancy would derail things - had dark thoughts.

Guarantee no man has ever had to think this way.

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

So yeah - want to build somehow a better world where no one needs to fear a pregnancy would hold them back from career and life prospects.

Happy womens day to all - its still tough out there - men do your bit and do it some more.

xx

(happy holi!)

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

Highlighting my team again - cos they're champs - follow them all@anbarasiu @arnav1712 @thenean @saurabhwaradkar

And follow me on LinkedIn too: https://t.co/XXJqqRl14u

<3

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023

(oh -our acquirer was obviously super progressive, sensible, chill about the info when disclosed and a champ during pregnancy - have been nothing but supportive and happy.

Just wanted to say - if not - life could look very different. Everyone should follow their lead!

— Sow (@sowmyarao_) March 7, 2023