What’s the Female Founder Equivalent of a Tech Bro?

Have you ever stopped to think—what’s the female founder version of a tech bro? Does it even exist? Maybe the real issue is that we’re not making ourselves visible enough.

In this episode of Unscripted Stories of a Female Founder, I dive into why women in tech and leadership must tell their own stories—because if we don’t, someone else will.

I share my own journey—from publishing poetry in secret to building a startup from scratch—and why putting yourself out there matters more than ever.

🎙️ If you’re a female founder, creator, or builder—this is your call to start sharing. No more waiting. No more silence.

🔗 Listen now on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/usoaff

This one’s raw. I’m not sugar-coating it. Today, I’m talking about the hard truths of building a business and why brutal honesty is non-negotiable.

From 10,000 Rejections to Fixing Hiring

Hey, it’s C.

I don’t really know how to do this podcast thing, but here we are.

Yesterday, something big happened—someone close to me joined our team. And it made me stop and think... about how I even got here.

10,000+ rejections.

It’s weird to say out loud, but it’s real. And every rejection made me question:
➝ Why this problem?
➝ Why me?

Every time I ask myself that, it feels like fire running through my veins. Because I’ve lived this.

I Was a Job Seeker, Too

Not long ago—January 2024—I was still applying for jobs. Feeling desperate. Feeling invisible.

Rejection after rejection.

The worst part? Silence. No feedback. No clarity. Just staring at my screen, wondering if I wasn’t enough.

And it made me ask... if 13,000+ companies didn’t think I was the right fit, shouldn’t I at least know why?

Here’s what I learned:
➝ No, AI isn’t the enemy rejecting you.
➝ Yes, humans are in the loop—but it’s still broken.

That’s why I’m here. Because hiring shouldn’t feel this hopeless.

Fixing Hiring for Good

Now, I’m on the other side—building what I wished existed back then.

At Octopus, we believe hiring should be:
➝ Transparent – Every candidate deserves an answer.
➝ Efficient – No one should wait for months.
➝ Human – Because behind every resume is a real person.

And I feel so damn lucky to be working with a team that gets it.

Where It All Began

I started applying for jobs at 16. LinkedIn recently reminded me it’s been 7 years.

Back then, it felt like a place for corporate jargon and suits. I didn’t fit in. I never thought I could.

But post-pandemic, something shifted. People started showing up as themselves. Neurodivergent minds like mine finally had space to breathe.

That shift changed everything. It made me realize:
➝ Hiring isn’t just broken for job seekers—it’s broken for companies too.
➝ And if no one else was going to fix it, I would.

So here we are.

If you’ve made it this far—thank you.

This is just the beginning, and I’m so grateful you’re here.

Let’s fix hiring, together.