Alpha Girls

The Women Upstarts Who Took On Silicon Valley's Male Culture and Made the Deals of a Lifetime

By: Julian Guthrie

Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest, Julian Guthrie

An unforgettable story of four women who, through grit and ingenuity, became stars in the cutthroat, high-stakes, male dominated world of venture capital in Silicon Valley, and helped build some of the foremost companies of our time.

In Alpha Girls, award-winning journalist Julian Guthrie takes readers behind the closed doors of venture capital, an industry that transforms economies and shapes how we live. We follow the lives and careers of four women who were largely written out of history - until now.

Magdalena Yesil, who arrived in America from Turkey with $43 to her name, would go on to receive her electrical engineering degree from Stanford, found some of the first companies to commercialize internet access, and help Marc Benioff build Salesforce. Mary Jane Elmore went from the corn fields of Indiana to Stanford and on to the storied venture capital firm IVP - where she was one of the first women in the U.S. to make partner - only to be pulled back from the glass ceiling by expectations at home. Theresia Gouw, an overachieving first-generation Asian American from a working-class town, dominated the foosball tables at Brown (she would later reluctantly let Sergey Brin win to help Accel Partners court Google), before she helped land and build companies including Facebook, Trulia, Imperva, and ForeScout. Sonja Hoel, a Southerner who became the first woman investing partner at white-glove Menlo Ventures, invested in McAfee, Hotmail, Acme Packet, and F5 Networks. As her star was still rising at Menlo, a personal crisis would turn her into an activist overnight, inspiring her to found an all-women's investment group and a national nonprofit for girls.

These women, juggling work and family, shaped the tech landscape we know today while overcoming unequal pay, actual punches, betrayals, and the sexist attitudes prevalent in Silicon Valley and in male-dominated industries everywhere. Despite the setbacks, they would rise again to rewrite the rules for an industry they love. In Alpha Girls, Guthrie reveals their untold stories.

Memories!

I lived this book (meant loved, but I lived it too!)
I remember working for and with a number of the companies mentioned, having moved to the Bay Area in 1995, just prior to the dot-com boom.
Four great stories of 4 great women, their successes, their struggles, their lives. Highly recommend!

Inspirational and eye-opening!

Working in tech in Silicon Valley, I was surprised by how little I knew of the venture capital world, especially the unique challenges women face. I was left feeling like I knew these women personally because of the level of details provided. Will definitely be recommending this book to the other women in tech that I know!

I recommend this book

First half is a little bit boring and too detailed but the second one is really good. I really enjoyed learning from these women's experiences

Inspiring read

A book I would recommend not only to women but also and most importantly to men. The author was able to make this subject a fascinating read filled with interesting facts and information. It’s a book that will hopefully help to create changes to our society.

The Unsung Influencers

This book was inspiring of all the women who’ve plowed the way for more balance in business and the VC world. Women have a knack for sensing the unseen and potential in ideas, the business operators, the business leaders and the likelihood of a successful outcome. There are plenty of businesses that flop, a lot of them but having a women’s perspective as the majority of consumers on the market, it only makes sense VC firms would greatly benefit from those integrated talents.
What’s sad is the narrowness of the opposite sex to realize having both sides to the coin creates greatness and profits in the business. These women trail-blazed in all 97% male industry. I’m inspired to know there are more of us and more that have been connecting and helping each other. There are great opportunities in the future for all Alpha Girls.
Great evidence and great inspiration.