Coffee with Developers - Babette Wagner

As the last senior standing, she architected a massive cloud migration. Babette Wagner shares hard-won lessons on sponsorship, visibility, and owning your unique path in tech.

#1about 4 minutes

Taking the lead on a massive legacy modernization project

A senior engineer stepped up to create and execute a three-year plan to migrate a complex legacy monolith to a modern cloud-based microservices architecture.

#2about 1 minute

Understanding the impact of sponsorship versus mentorship

A sponsor actively promotes your career and creates opportunities for you, which is a distinct and powerful form of support compared to mentorship.

#3about 4 minutes

A practical guide for women to find a career sponsor

To attract a sponsor, women should focus on accurate self-assessment, increasing visibility, communicating ambitions, and understanding that sponsorship is a reciprocal relationship.

#4about 2 minutes

Identifying genuine diversity efforts versus performative action

Genuine diversity and inclusion initiatives are backed by dedicated resources and are embedded in a clearly communicated company strategy with measurable goals.

#5about 4 minutes

Practical examples of successful diversity and inclusion programs

Effective D&I programs include international hiring support, fostering young talent through mentorship, supporting queer communities, and measuring success with KPIs.

#6about 2 minutes

How to embrace being a role model without pressure

Experienced women in tech are often role models by default, and can embrace this by simply sharing their experiences and beliefs to inspire others.

#7about 2 minutes

Overcoming the confidence gap and imposter syndrome

Women can combat the tendency to undervalue their skills by actively seeking feedback from colleagues to get a more realistic assessment of their contributions.

#8about 2 minutes

The competitive advantage of being your authentic self

Instead of trying to fit in, embracing your unique perspective and communication style can be a significant benefit to your team and career.

#9about 2 minutes

Rewriting the story to celebrate women in tech history

The tech industry needs to shift its narrative to highlight the foundational contributions of women, moving beyond the typical stories of male founders.