Women Disrupting Tech

Most startups hire fast. But is that the right hiring strategy?In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Relinde Boerman, lead recruiter at PolarSteps. This travel app startup scaled from 20 to nearly 100 employees while maintaining the culture that made it special. We explore why PolarSteps ignores time-to-hire as a metric, how they assess culture fit beyond vague feelings, and what it takes to build a talent-dense team that doesn't compromise on values.Relinde explains how clearly defined values become hiring criteria, why curiosity matters more than perfect clarity in a scaling environment, and how their "day at the office" interview process reveals what traditional interviews miss.This episode is for female founders, startup leaders, and anyone building a team who wants to understand how to scale without sacrificing the culture that makes your company special.What you'll learn in this episode- Why time-to-hire is the wrong metric for culture-driven startups- How to translate abstract company values into concrete hiring behaviors- What "talent density" means and why it matters more than headcount- Why hiring "overqualified" people for first-of-kind roles is a smart strategy- How a full-day interview reveals what 3 rounds of traditional interviews can't- What it takes to maintain culture while scaling from 20 to 100 employeesChapters00:00 Introduction02:02 Relinde's Journey to Polarsteps04:47 The Growth of Polarsteps07:20 Maintaining Company Culture During Rapid Growth10:23 The Importance of Values in Recruitment12:54 Hiring for Culture Fit15:38 Assessing Cultural Drift17:54 Defining Company Values20:05 Embedding Values in the Hiring Process22:15 Curiosity as a Cultural Element25:12 Balancing Clarity and Ambiguity in a Fast-Paced Environment27:58 The Role of Leadership in Culture30:14 High Impact, Talent Density, and Values33:10 Navigating Commercial Pressures in Hiring35:43 Addressing Hiring Mistakes38:15 The Day at the Office: A Unique Hiring Approach40:59 Onboarding and Settling In43:42 Fostering Belonging in a Hybrid Setup46:51 Career Growth and Internal Mobility49:23 Hiring a New CEO52:19 Advice for Female Founders55:15 Closing Thoughts and ResourcesConnect with Relinde Boerman and PolarStepsRelinde Boerman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/relindeboerman/Polarsteps on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polarsteps/Polarsteps website: https://www.polarsteps.com/Polarsteps careers: https://careers.polarsteps.com/🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👉 Subscribe for more conversations on building sustainable, culture-driven tech companies.

Most people think technology is neutral. It’s not.In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Dr. Christine Miller, Professor of Design Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and author of “Tools, Totems, and Totalities.” She studies how power and cultural values get embedded into the technology we use every day. We explore why so many modern tools feel like systems we have to submit to rather than products we choose, how AI and platforms are designed to ensure “the house always wins,” and what it takes to build technology that empowers human imagination instead of exploiting it.Chris introduces the framework of tools, totems, and totalities — a lens for understanding why there’s such a gap between what technology promises and what it actually delivers. We also talk about the unique systemic challenges female founders face when trying to build outside the gravity of existing tech totalities.This episode is for female founders, women in tech, and startup leaders who are building products and want to understand how design choices embed power dynamics into technology.What you’ll learn in this episode:Why modern technology reflects power dynamics, not just functionalityThe difference between tools that work with you vs. tools that work for youHow “totalities” like venture capital force founders into predefined rolesWhy profitability should be measured in infrastructure, social, and cultural capital — not just financial returnsThe “dreams and nightmares” framework for designing technology that people actually trustHow to stay on the “pirate trajectory” — plundering a system’s resources without being pulled into its gravityChapters:00:00 Introduction05:34 Exploring Hegemony in Technology08:28 The Nature of Technology and Trust11:18 The Concept of Neutrality in Technology14:17 Understanding Tools, Totems, and Totalities17:03 The Impact of Totalities on Technology19:53 Women Founders and Systemic Challenges22:59 Alternatives in Technology: Blue Sky25:54 Profitability and Societal Progress34:38 Measuring Societal Benefit and Design Value37:52 Identity-Shaping Technology and Brand Influence41:12 Addiction to Technology and Design Principles44:59 Conviviality and Sustainable Technology48:48 The Challenge of Perspective in Corporate Culture52:07 Building Support Networks for Founders 55:45 Designing for Creativity and ImaginationConnect with Christine MillerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-z-miller-ph-d-b4735350/Order her book Tools, Totems, and Totalities: The Modern Construction of Hegemonic Technology On Amazon On Bol🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👉 Subscribe for more conversations on building tech that empowers, not exploits.

Burnout doesn't happen because people work too hard. It happens because half their work is invisible.In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Jamie Albaum, co-founder of Kellotime, a platform that helps organizations understand how their teams actually spend their time. We explore how invisible labor — the operational work, coordination, and care tasks that keep companies running — quietly builds up inside teams and contributes to burnout and structural bias.Jamie explains how unmeasured workload distorts promotions, recognition, and retention, and why founders who want to build sustainable companies need to understand the gap between assumed workload and real workload.This episode is for female founders, startup leaders, and women in tech who want to understand how invisible labor creates burnout before it's too late.What you'll learn in this episode:Why burnout often starts in the gap between assumed workload and real workloadHow time tracking helps founders identify overload before it becomes a crisisWhat data reveals about gendered labor patterns inside teamsWhy invisible labor shapes promotions, recognition, and retentionHow workload visibility improves pricing, fundraising, and project planningChapters:02:10 The Birth of Kello Time: Addressing Burnout in Organizations05:03 Understanding the Importance of Timekeeping07:55 Cultural Implications of Invisible Labor10:54 The Impact of Burnout on Employee Engagement13:49 Identifying Patterns of Burnout Across Organizations16:55 The Role of Data in Shaping Workplace Culture19:51 Kello Time's Unique Approach to Timekeeping22:45 The Gender Dynamics of Invisible Labor25:35 Kello Time's Functionality and Benefits 28:27 Strategic Resource Management with Kello Time31:19 Building Trust and Avoiding Micromanagement34:25 Cultural Shifts and Employee Wellbeing37:33 Recognizing Signs of Employee Disengagement40:24 The Importance of Open Communication43:22 Encouraging Time Off for Better Productivity46:31 Implementing Sabbatical Policies for Employee Retention49:35 Advice for Founders on Managing Workloads52:16 The Invisible Labor of Fundraising55:14 Practicing Public Speaking as a Founder58:17 Connecting with Jamie and Kello TimeConnect with Jamie Albaum and Kellotime:Jamie Albaum on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiealbaum/Website: https://www.kellotime.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kellotimeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kello_time/🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.👉 Subscribe for more conversations with women building sustainable tech companies.

Starting a tech company is hard. Starting one during a war requires a different kind of resilience.In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Oryna Starkina, founder and CEO of Starksoft, a mobile development company she built during the pandemic and has kept running through the war in Ukraine. We explore how distributed teams create operational resilience, why the pandemic was actually a "golden window" for tech startups, and how Oryna turned her natural anxiety into a risk management advantage.This episode is for female founders, women in tech, and entrepreneurs building companies in uncertain times who want to understand how resilience is both a business architecture and a personal practice.What you'll learn in this episode:* Why 2020 was an opportunity window for tech, not just a crisis• How a distributed team structure keeps a company running during power outages and war• Why working with SMEs provided more stability than enterprise clients during crisis• How naturally anxious founders can leverage overthinking as scenario planning• Why physical routines break the "thinking loop" and create space for better decisions• What's shifting for women in tech leadership roles in Ukraine — and why it's likely permanentChapters: 02:05 Navigating Crisis: The Birth of Starksoft04:49 Building a Resilient Business Model07:56 Client Relationships and Support During Turbulence10:29 Overcoming Personal Challenges: Anxiety and Imposter Syndrome13:26 Networking and Attracting Clients16:16 The Role of Routine in Managing Anxiety18:58 Mindfulness and Focus Through Physical Activity22:01 Leveraging Overthinking for Business Success24:52 Coping with Uncertainty in a War Zone30:49 Impact of War on Workforce Dynamics35:09 Women in Tech: Rising Opportunities39:52 Long-Term Changes in Female Entrepreneurship41:55 Lessons from Uncertainty: Insights for Founders44:16 Preparing for the Unknown: Practical Strategies48:43 Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Realizations and GrowthMore about the episodeCheck the show notes for magic moments, practical takeaways and insights.More about Oryna Starkina and StarksoftConnect with Oryna Starkina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arastark/ Learn more about Starksoft: https://www.starksoft.online/🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations with women building the future of tech.

Burnout isn't about working too hard. It's about working against yourself.In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Alice Pavin, a Business and Life Coach for female founders navigating the gap between external success and internal alignment. We explore what happens when everything looks perfect on paper, but something still feels off — and what it takes to listen to the whisper before it becomes a shout.This episode is for women in tech, female founders, and entrepreneurs who are building at high intensity but wondering if there's a more sustainable way forward.What you'll learn in this episode:Why burnout is misalignment, not just overworkHow to use your heart as a compass and your mind as an execution toolWhat morning routines actually do for flow state and nervous system regulationHow to practice heart-centered decision-making before investor meetingsWhy silence is uncomfortable — and why it's essential for growthWhat microdosing can and can't do as a tool for self-connectionChapters 02:00 Introduction to Wellbeing and Entrepreneurship03:12 The Whisper of the Body05:02 Spiritual CV and Inner Balance08:32 The Power of Silence14:12 Mind vs. Heart: Finding Balance18:29 Signs of Imbalance and Body Communication21:28 Practicing Heart-Centered Living28:59 Morning Routines for Flow State30:37 Breathwork for Heart Connection32:26 Heart-Centered Visualization Exercise42:23 Understanding Microdosing and Its Benefits50:14 Microdosing Protocols and Practices58:58 Integrating Microdosing with Personal Development1:03:52 Empowering Female Founders in Investment ConversationsAbout this episode📰 Read the show notes: https://womendisruptingtech.blog/2026/02/26/episode-141/ 🔗 Connect with Alice Pavin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicepavin 🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 👉 Subscribe for more conversations with women building the future of health and tech.