“Ay, esta muchacha, va a se una ingeniera!”
That’s what my father said to my mother when they found me sitting at our Singer sewing machine, which I had completely disassembled. I was three years old. Oh, this girl, she’s going to be an engineer.
Turns out, my father was right. I earned my industrial engineering degree in Ecuador then worked in manufacturing. There, I discovered Poka-Yoke, Theory of Constraints, and Just In Time. These concepts still influence how I think of systems and processes, even in the SaaS world.
It wasn’t long before I had an “ah-ha moment” that changed the course of my career.
One day, I left exactly when my shift ended—even though I hadn’t finished my work. My manager called me out for not keeping my commitment. I felt the pain of disappointing him for weeks and realized I’d do anything to earn his trust and deliver on our goals.
I realized something else that afternoon. As an individual contributor, I could only accomplish so much. But as a manager, I could deliver more impactful results through empowering others.
