Story map
Follow the problem, early work, people reached and the moments that changed the outcome.
The problem they noticed
Why were girls underrepresented in computing, and what kind of learning environment could help?
From first version to product
Saujani founded Girls Who Code in 2012 and later described how perfection pressure can discourage girls from taking risks and learning through mistakes.
Reaching people
Her 'brave, not perfect' argument reframed coding as repeated problem-solving rather than a test of whether someone already belongs.
Key moments
Experiments, pivots, and surprises. Look for what changed their thinking.
- 1Programme
What happened: Girls Who Code combined technical learning with community and encouragement to take risks.
Lesson: Understanding users means looking at both practical barriers and how an experience feels.
Impact
Work can create value and still involve limits or trade-offs. Look at both sides of the impact.
Positive
- +Girls Who Code created learning communities aimed at narrowing the gender gap in technology.
Trade-offs
- ±Participation statistics and learner experiences should be measured rather than reduced to one founder story.
- ±One explanation cannot describe every learner. Access, role models, teaching, discrimination and resources also shape participation.
What to remember
If you had to explain this story to a friend, what would you want them to remember?
- Ask users about their experience instead of assuming one explanation.
- Look for emotional and structural barriers together.
- Treat an insight as a hypothesis to test across more than one person.
Featured in these lessons
Open the lessons where this story appears in the learning experience.
Explore skills
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Sources & further reading
- Reshma Saujani, About - https://www.reshmasaujani.com/about
- TED, Teach girls bravery, not perfection - https://www.ted.com/talks/reshma_saujani_teach_girls_bravery_not_perfection
- Kauffman Foundation, conversation with Reshma Saujani - https://www.kauffman.org/currents/reshma-saujani-conversation-girls-who-code/