Balancing parenthood and work is no small feat. We chatted with some parents here at Material Security to learn about the trials and triumphs of this journey. They've got stories, advice, and a dash of humor to share. We're hoping their stories can make the whole juggling act feel a little less overwhelming for our fellow parents out there.
Meet Natasha Gude, Senior Staff Software Engineer
How do you balance being a parent and working at a fast growing startup? What lessons or advice could you share?
Trying to do well in both parenting and my job often feels like a never-ending balancing act. I can't say I ever feel I'm excelling at it, but one thing I've learned to accept is that my work schedule can be a bit all over the place. For example, I can't delay dinner by an hour or two to wrap up that task or discussion (kids get hangry!), and instead, I've just got to go with the flow and adapt my work to fit around the needs of parenting.
I’ve also learned it's important not to get too comfortable with a regular work routine because without fail, as soon as I do, I can count on a week or two of sick kids to keep things interesting!
How does Material Security's culture pair with parenthood?
Material has been really great for this period in my life. Our two-week sprints set us up with a well-defined, sufficiently-sized set of tasks that I can execute on given my scheduling constraints. We’ve always been both a remote and family-friendly company so planning out syncs with peers early-on comes naturally, and folks understand that people have a lot going on outside of work.
“We’ve always been both a remote and family-friendly company so planning out syncs with peers early-on comes naturally, and folks understand that people have a lot going on outside of work.”- NATASHA GUDE, STAFF SOFTWARE ENGINEER
What part of Summer have you and your kid(s) enjoyed the most?
Not having to make it out the door (with a packed lunch!) for an 8:15am school start? But seriously, we did a beach vacation and cousin vacation and hanging out with kids who still think you’re fun to be around is the absolute best.
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Meet Anennya Veeraraghavan, Staff Data Scientist
How do you balance being a parent and working at a fast-growing startup? What lessons or advice could you share?
With a startup, there is typically an impulse to treat our work as a sprint, which at times, it is. But more often than not, it’s a marathon - we need endurance and sustainability to avoid burnout.
I know this is a cliche but really identifying and prioritizing what’s important to work on is essential to minimize the gap between our desired output and our actual output.
I also allocate buffer time in my schedule when I plan so I can handle any unexpected interruptions (sleepless nights with kids, sickness, etc.)
I give myself space and time for replenishment and self-care. I go for a walk/run whenever possible.
“Material’s remote friendly culture provides the flexibility I need to get the most of my day. I get to start work really early in the morning, check in on my kids periodically during the day and squeeze in some self-care time.” - ANENNYA VEERAGAHAVAN, STAFF DATA SCIENTIST
What part of Summer have you and your kid(s) enjoyed the most?
I live in Seattle which means summers are extra precious for us! So we have been spending our time outdoors as much as possible. My 5 year old loves water and my 2 year old loves playing with sand! So we have been spending most weekends in water - in nearby lakes and beaches - kayaking and swimming.
Meet Austin Guzman, Director of Commercial Sales
How do you balance being a parent and working at a fast-growing startup? What lessons or advice could you share?
I'm not sure that anyone has the answer about how to perfectly balance life between work and home, but one thing that has worked well for me is to compartmentalize the two as much as possible. Knowing that I can give my whole focus to work while I'm working and my full attention to my family gives me the balance I need.
One of the things that has been great about working at Material Security is how supportive everyone is when something comes up. I have seen many instances where someone needs to step away to help with something family-related and the rest of the team is able to step in to support that person in the meantime. With that teamwork and support, I don't find myself in a distracted state fighting on two fronts and am able to give that full focus without any guilt or blame.
In terms of more practical advice, it's helpful to distinguish between the work that is dependent on others and that which you can complete on your own. I try to use the main work hours towards meetings, brainstorming with others, catching up and making asks. That allows me to handle more independent work in the mornings or evenings when needed.
“I have seen many instances where someone needs to step away to help with something family related and the rest of the team is able to step in to support that person” - AUSTIN GUZMAN, DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL SALES
How does Material Security's culture pair with parenthood?
Two main elements that I think solidify our culture are our founders having the shared experience of being parents and our being a remote-first company.
Parenthood is a responsibility that's challenging to fully comprehend until you experience it firsthand. Since so many of us have this shared experience, it means we recognize the importance of flexibility, particularly for those who are juggling work and family life.
The second factor that has significantly shaped Material's culture is our commitment to remote work. Since our team is distributed across the country (and sometimes even across the globe), the principles that support a healthy work-life balance also enable us to collaborate effectively across various time zones.
The same organizational approach and "asynchronous synchrony" that make remote work successful also help take some of the stress out of managing the balance between work and being a parent.
You can complete a full day's work, take a break for school pickups, dinner, and bedtime, and still have the freedom to handle any remaining to-do's at your own pace.
What part of Summer have you and your kid(s) enjoyed the most?
My son is starting school for the first time this year, so we've enjoyed building up to that. He's gotten to explore a few different schools as we looked around and has enjoyed playing with all his new friends and all the new toys. It's very cute to see him in the new social interactions as he plays with the other kids.
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Meet Chris Scott, Security Architect
How do you balance being a parent and working at a fast-growing startup? What lessons or advice could you share?
I have to be honest with myself about how much time I have in a day since, with two small kids, there isn't much time outside normal working hours to get real work done. In practice, this means not overcommitting myself to my team or customers and giving myself ample time when estimating when I'll get back to someone with a reply or project deliverables. I block out time on my calendar for work requiring uninterrupted thought to make sure those get done while I have the ability to focus.
How does Material Security's culture pair with parenthood?
A large portion of the company are parents, so there's a lot of camaraderie and understanding that kids are a lot of work and things don't always go as planned.
“A large portion of the company are parents so there's a lot of camaraderie and understanding that kids are a lot of work and things don't always go as planned.” - CHRIS SCOTT, SECURITY ARCHITECT
What part of Summer have you and your kid(s) enjoyed the most?
Our oldest is two and she loves being outside so it has been fun seeing her have fun outdoors and pick up new skills so quickly. Our youngest is four months so he's not outdoors much yet, but it has been great seeing him and his sister bond.
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