We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bosky Mukherjee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bosky, thanks for joining us today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

I grew up in a middle-class family in India, where my parents instilled in me the value of hard work. They worked tirelessly so my sister and I could have a comfortable life and education.

Three things they taught me shaped who I am:

1. Hard work: I’ve toiled for 23 years, starting in school and continuing into my career. As an immigrant woman of color in tech, I’ve faced extra hurdles. Despite the challenges, hard work, inspired by my parents’ ethic, has been my constant companion.

2. Humility: My parents disliked show-offs. My mom’s disapproving look at bragging still lingers in my memory. Despite her accomplishments, she remains grounded. I’ve learned that humility is a strength.

3. Resourcefulness: Growing up, I learned to be scrappy. My dad taught me to see constraints as opportunities for creativity. This mindset has been invaluable, especially as an immigrant entrepreneur.

These lessons are not just part of my story; they are the backbone of my journey.

Bosky, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am the founder of PMDojo, a working mom, an immigrant, and a minority in rooms where my presence and abilities were doubted.
I’m passionate about helping women and minorities future-proof their careers. I have paused, pivoted, and restarted my career countless times.

I have been featured in Forbes, Power To Fly, Morning Star and is invited as a speaker at conferences such as Monday.com, Women in Tech Leadership, Women in Product and company offsites.

At PMDojo, we are rewriting the old rules and playbooks that held back women and minorities from succeeding in their tech industry careers.

Our new playbook is all about helping you develop real-world skills (both hard and soft skills) to fast-track your career with expertise, real experience, connections, and opportunities to be hired, promoted, and rise to leadership roles in product and tech.

I coach Product Managers, Product Leaders, technologists, and business leaders from Fortune 500 companies to get unstuck in their careers and rise in leadership roles by:

– Become stronger strategic thinkers and problem solvers
– Lead innovation at scale and drive business impact
– Build mindsets and resiliency needed to navigate today’s business world
– Build high performing teams that grow

We do this with our experiential and personalized programs like the Product Accelerator or Coaching. 🌱

I also work with companies to upskill their product teams and advise a number of startups on the side .

You can learn more here – https://www.pmdojo.me/

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I wish I did not learn about resilience this way but often the darkest parts of our life has important lessons for us.

Did your child not have his open heart surgery just 1 year ago? Why don’t you simply focus on your 4-year-old and refuse this promotion.”

When I came back to work after my son’s surgery, I was asked, “Shouldn’t you be at home?”

I was looked down upon because I decided to return to work way early than what was “expected”.

Seeing my motherhood being questioned was SO incredibly frustrating just because I showed up for work.

Want to know the saddest part? This is the reality of moms everywhere. “Motherhood penalty” is a reality and women have to work twice as hard to get the recognition they deserve. 💔

I’m a bootstrapped founder with an 9-year-old and I’m always told to take it easy.

Our “inclusive” workplaces aren’t designed to support moms.

For mothers, every day is a rollercoaster. We juggle meetings, deadlines, and mom duties. Our unique struggles & commitment often go unnoticed and unaddressed.

When we care about our children, we become a liability.

And we are labeled as an ‘absent mom’ when we prioritize work and family.

It’s a double-edged sword we’re walking on and I’m sure women everywhere are exhausted by continuously being deemed the villain.

But we carry on. This is a big part of why we have programs like TraleblazeHer in PMDojo. You can learn more here – https://www.pmdojo.me/trailblazeher

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I am a book nerd and have always loved reading books. Here are my top favoutites:

1. “Rework” by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson – This book challenges traditional business norms and offers unconventional advice on starting and running a business in today’s fast-paced world.

2. “The Art of the Start 2.0: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything” by Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki provides practical advice and insights for entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, from ideation to execution. The book covers topics like pitching, fundraising, marketing, and creating a compelling vision for your startup.

3. “Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future” by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
Peter Thiel, a renowned entrepreneur and investor, shares his insights on building transformative companies that create new industries and achieve monopoly-like market positions. The book challenges conventional thinking and encourages entrepreneurs to focus on creating unique value.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pmdojo.me/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boskymukherjee
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bosky/