This is a rebroadcast episode with Dona Sarkar, Director of Technology for Accessibility at Microsoft. This was the first episode for this podcast and  one of my favorites. This conversation with Dona is as relevant today as it was in 2015. I hope it encourages you to believe that having a portfolio career such as technologist, fashion designer and author is actually possible.

At the time we recorded this episode, Dona was an Engineering Lead for Microsoft’s HoloLens I talked to Dona about her career in technology and how following your interests on the side can enhance your career.

Growing up in Detroit, Dona didn’t have a lot of money or resources, so she made up her own stories and characters. Dona talked about how growing up with a need to constantly use her own creativity to entertain herself is now an asset. Dona says “when you don’t have very much, consider it your superpower”. Dona also explained how a lack of resources can help you understand the billions of undeserved people in the market today. “We keep going after the same 2 billion people over and over again in tech, but why, lets go after 5 billion.”

Dona's Blog 

Topics discussed:

• Tips for getting started in technology
• Coding is just building things for people and how not to be scared when trying to learn technical skills
• If you don’t succeed at something, Dona suggests “do it again!”
• Resources to learn new skills (skillfeed, udemy, youtube, Lynda, codeacademy)
• Dona’s time management secret
• Dona talks about her book on eating disorders in minority women
• How growing up with less can be your superpower
• Dona’s philosophy on staying away from non believers and negativity