I’m a stay at home mom from the San Francisco Bay Area. I have two girls, ages 10 and 12, who attend a local public school. For the past dozen years, I’ve opted out of the formal workforce to ensure my top priority is raising the kids. While at home, blogging enables me to stay involved and connected to various family-friendly projects and networks. But this summer I did something different and took my home-based experience a step further. I actually went to work.
In June, a fellow Moms With Apps developer approached me about helping with summer projects at a growing edtech startup. Enuma, derived from the word enumerate, is a company of 20 people with offices in Berkeley, Seoul and Beijing. Enuma makes the award winning app Todo Math, which is a comprehensive math curriculum for early learners. Todo Math is updated with new features every season, so syncing app updates with fresh marketing is a constant priority. While my contact tuned into her family’s summer enrichment, I tuned into part-time app marketing work, and had a total blast.
Reflecting on this experience, I’d like to share three main observations on why working at startups can be so fulfilling for moms:
You are surrounded by technically talented and motivated people.
With programmers and graphic designers within reach, anything is possible in the modern digital world. What makes the scenario richer is how everyone is equally motivated to to succeed. Startups need to be lean and efficient. Their advantage against established brands is a faster time to market due to less bureaucracy. With a focused group of people creating great products, positive energy can be contagious. Sooinn Lee, Enuma’s founder and CEO, is an encouraging role model who is able to process complex feedback while determining her own unique course. Even at my age, I’m realizing how role models are just as important now as when I was young.
The high caliber of products launched by the Enuma team is equally impressive. Witnessing their edtech innovations first hand, from interactive apps to wearable technology, is an exciting privilege to watch in real time.
You get to refresh professional skills.
Startups use the latest tools for collaboration. At Enuma, there is a global team working in opposite time zones. Effective communication when time zones intersect is critical. Slack is a team communication app that virtually eliminates the need for inter-company email. When I downloaded Slack to my iPhone, I felt instantaneously more hip! I could Slack a document or message without overloading anyone’s email inbox. For moms, Slack’s anytime/anywhere connectivity redefines the traditional work day, enabling flexible communication around work and family. Meanwhile, to perform as a professional, I had to do my best in whatever task I was assigned. I thought more deeply and paid more attention to my writing than I had in recent history. Working helped me enjoy writing again.
You experience more of the world.
Enuma embraces diversity. Their team is multicultural, multilingual, and multi-age. Sometimes, during threads of Korean office conversation, I could feel at peace and focus on my work because I knew the topic didn’t need my immediate input. When the topic required my input or was for a general team meeting, the language switched. Every day was like a mini global adventure, you never quite knew what phrases, foods or people might await! I also saw more of the Bay Area. While driving over the San Francisco Bay Bridge to the office, I noticed the latest ad campaigns, joined in the rush of commuters, and heard an uninterrupted flow of news or music. For moms, anything uninterrupted is awesome.
So what did the kids do while I was away? At twelve years old, my oldest was comfortable being in charge at home for a few hours. Only having to visit the office one or two days a week left a nice balance between independence and the usual consistency. Knowing kids are welcome in the office also added peace of mind. But kids, summers, and independence is a topic I’ll cover in another post.
Thank you, Enuma, for being the startup that started me up again. This experience helped unite the range of perspectives between at-home moms and working moms, ultimately providing me with deeper understanding and respect for all choices.
