Whereoware is proud to have a majority woman workforce, particularly in the male-dominated tech industry. We’re recognizing our WOW women and their achievements in both tech and leadership, and sharing their thoughtful insight for the next generation of women in the workplace.

In this edition of WOW Women in Technology, we’re chatting with Radha Jujjavarapu, Whereoware’s Development Manager, Post-Production.

Tell us about your leadership style and philosophy?

I am a big believer in “teamwork." Everyone on the team should have equal opportunity. Opportunity creates team belonging and accountability.

I respect my team, listen to their ideas, and lend them a helping hand when needed. In our fast-changing, complex business environment, it is very important to retrospect and correct mistakes, while giving team members support and empowerment.

What inspires you most about being a leader?

For me, it all starts with helping others. I have a passion for helping people and solving problems. The ability to make a difference - be it big or small - in anything we do for our team members and clients motivates me every day.

What is the most significant barrier to female leadership?

Many women settle back into a socially evolved role around mid-career for various personal and family reasons. This restricts their movement in demanding leadership positions.

However, with the advent of technology, many constraints and barriers of the past may cease to exist in a not-too-distant future. Therefore, the only limitation that may remain is mindset.

Women often have a natural instinct to be caring, which helps earn people’s trust. Women seeking leadership positions frequently must work harder to earn attention and trust of their male counterparts and teams.

I am very proud to mention that at Whereoware, our Web operations is an almost all-woman team.

Our ability to juggle multiple things (homes, families, careers, friends) helps us work with multiple clients patiently in a timely manner. For many, late night feeds and diaper changes now translate to addressing the critical tickets during non-business hours.

It speaks volumes that Whereoware leadership empowers an all-woman team to head the one of the most important operations of the company.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned, as a female leader in the competitive tech industry?

Your voice is valuable — and not just because you’re one of the only women in the room.

I’ve often found it difficult to speak my mind at work, especially when I was just beginning my career. I was surrounded by men who had been trained to believe their voices were powerful and that their opinions were worth something. Though my work ethic and skills speak for themselves, I’ve also learned that voicing your opinion, even when it may be uncomfortable, is critical to advance your role as a female leader in tech. This is advice I’d give to every woman in technology, regardless of your skills or experience.

How has your background set you up for success?

I have my bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communications. The idea of building web applications fascinated me and led me to pursue my master’s in Information Systems.

I started as a developer and worked on any and everything that came my way to build expertise in all the areas. It really helped me identify my core strengths and areas of interest. Working with different kinds of companies, work cultures, and people along the way has helped build my interpersonal skills.

What do you wish you had known before embarking on your career in tech?

Finding a career that we truly enjoy can be difficult, as most of us will experience a job that we don’t like, or that isn’t suitable for us. However, keep trying – the right workplace is out there! We spend most of our lives at work. If we aren't happy in our role, this will undoubtedly have an adverse effect on our personal life.

I wish when our teachers taught us to solve puzzles in childhood, they'd have mentioned that life is like an infinite piece puzzle. We just need to find the right piece for that point in time, and keep solving it till the end.