Discussion Questions on Ellen K. Pao's "Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change" (P560)
1. What shorthand name do we give the geographical region of the U.S. where Ellen Pao was working in 2008-and what is this "VC" industry she's involved in?
2. In her fifth paragraph (starts at the top of pg. 562 with, "And so"), Pao describes the change that came over Silicon Valley between the Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg/Evan Spiegel eras. What was that change, as she sees it? Spends a couple sentences characterizing it for me.
3. Skim back over Pao's ninth and tenth paragraphs for me. (Her ninth starts at the top of pg. 563 with, "Out in.") Then tell me this: even though she doesn't actually use the word, she's clearly thinking about what unhappy "-ism" as it manifested in Silicon Valley during her time there? (Fine to do this in one word.)
4. Skim back over the italicized language in Pao's tenth paragraph. What unspoken point is she clearly making here about the situation women working in Silicon Valley are in? What are we supposed to understand after eavesdropping on those thoughts?
5. In her 12th paragraph (starts on pg. 563 with, "The last"), Pao tells us about some interviews she helped conduct for Kleiner, the VC company she worked for. Tell me about at least one deeply unethical thing she witnessed there.
6. Who is Ajit Nazre, and what sort of workplace experience did Pao have with him? (Skim back over the top half of pg. 564 for a memory jog.)
7. Who is Trae Vassallo-and what advice did Pao give her that she's glad Vassallo didn't take?
8. What astounding thing was Trae told by a Kleiner managing partner when she complained about Ajit Nazre? (Skim back over the bottom half of pg. 565 for a memory jog here.)
9. And what realization, basically, did Pao come to after Trae was told that? Paraphrase for me her words in the last ten or so lines of pg. 438.
10. Miserable after a number of years of being shamed for asking for raises at Kleiner, Pao finally leaves the company and files a lawsuit against it with what agency? (Her 33rd paragraph will help; it starts on pg. 567 with "Finally.")
11. What is "Brunswick"-and what does Kleiner basically hire it to do in its court battle against Pao? (The bottom half of pg. 567 will help.)
12. What painful, deeply personal life event does Pao attribute to Kleiner's treatment of her after her exit? (Skim back over pg. 568, if need be.)
13. Lastly, skim back over Pao's closing paragraph for me (starts at the bottom of pg. 570). Then paraphrase for me her vision of an everyone-gets-to-succeed American workplace. What are its chief characteristics? How is it different from the all-too-typical Kleiner firm that wore her out?