Jean Lee

I didn’t feel smart enough.

In my first computer science class, the guys bragged about coding since they were 9.
I hadn’t.

They spoke in jargon.
Showed off side projects.
Talked over people.
I stayed quiet. Wondering if I even belonged.

I felt like a fraud.
Like someone had made a mistake admitting me.

I was one of the only girls in the room.
And when I walked into class, they stared.
Not like I was interested,
But like I’m in the wrong classroom.

For a while, I believed them.
Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this.
Maybe they were right.

But then… I started working.
And everything changed.

I learned something no one teaches you in school:
💡 The loudest voices aren’t the smartest.
💡Confidence isn’t the same as competence.

Some of the best engineers I’ve worked with are quiet.


Some of the worst?
Always talking.
Always promoting.

Eventually, I stopped mistaking volume for value.
And I stopped questioning whether I belonged.

💡According to KPMG, 75% of executive women experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers, especially in tech.

So if you’ve ever thought:
“Maybe I’m not enough…”

Let me tell you something:
You probably are.
You just haven’t had the right environment yet.

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 164