TED2015
Dame Stephanie Shirley: Why do ambitious women have flat heads?
Dame Stephanie Shirley: De ce au capul plat femeile ambiţioase?
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Dame Stephanie Shirley este cea mai de succes femeie antreprenor în domeniul techonologiei. În 1960 a fondat în Anglia o companie de software formată din femei, care a fost evaluată la 3 miliarde de dolari, a făcut milionari 70 dintre persoanele din echipă. În această prezentare glumeaţă ea explică de ce s-a numit „Steve", cum a făcut faţă conetxtului de atunci şi ne împărtăşeşte câteva modalităţi de a recunoaşte femeile ambiţioase...
Dame Stephanie Shirley - Entrepreneur and philanthropist
In 1962, Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley founded Freelance Programmers, a software firm with innovative work practices -- and (mainly) women employees. Full bio
In 1962, Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley founded Freelance Programmers, a software firm with innovative work practices -- and (mainly) women employees. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
When I wrote my memoir,
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Când mi-am scris memoriul
00:14
the publishers were really confused.
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editorii au fost oarecum confuzi.
00:18
Was it about me as a child refugee,
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Era oare vorba despre mine, copil refugiat
00:22
or as a woman who set up a high-tech
software company back in the 1960s,
software company back in the 1960s,
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sau despre femeia care a înfiinţat
o companie de software în anii '60,
o companie de software în anii '60,
00:28
one that went public
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care a fost listată public
00:30
and eventually employed over 8,500 people?
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şi avea peste 8 500 de angajaţi?
00:34
Or was it as a mother
of an autistic child?
of an autistic child?
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Sau era despre mama unui copil autist?
00:39
Or as a philanthropist that's
now given away serious money?
now given away serious money?
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Sau despre un filantrop
care donează sume consistente?
care donează sume consistente?
00:43
Well, it turns out, I'm all of these.
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De fapt sunt toate acestea.
00:46
So let me tell you my story.
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Vreau să vă spun povestea mea.
00:51
All that I am stems from when
I got onto a train in Vienna,
I got onto a train in Vienna,
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Totul a început când am urcat
într-un tren în Viena
într-un tren în Viena
00:58
part of the Kindertransport that saved
nearly 10,000 Jewish children
nearly 10,000 Jewish children
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care a salvat aproximativ
10.000 de copii evrei
10.000 de copii evrei
01:03
from Nazi Europe.
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din Europa Nazistă.
01:05
I was five years old, clutching the hand
of my nine-year-old sister
of my nine-year-old sister
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Aveam cinci ani, o ţineam de mână pe
sora mea de nouă ani
sora mea de nouă ani
01:09
and had very little idea as to
what was going on.
what was going on.
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şi nu prea ştiam ce se întâmplă.
01:13
"What is England and
why am I going there?"
why am I going there?"
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„Ce este Anglia şi de ce merg acolo?"
01:18
I'm only alive because so long ago,
I was helped by generous strangers.
I was helped by generous strangers.
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Trăiesc pentru că am fost ajutată
de nişte străini generoşi.
de nişte străini generoşi.
01:26
I was lucky, and doubly lucky
to be later reunited
to be later reunited
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Am fost norocoasă atunci
şi mai norocoasă după ce m-am reunit
cu părinţii mei naturali.
cu părinţii mei naturali.
01:30
with my birth parents.
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01:32
But, sadly, I never bonded
with them again.
with them again.
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Din păcate însă,
n-am mai putut fi la fel de apropiaţi.
n-am mai putut fi la fel de apropiaţi.
01:39
But I've done more in the seven decades
since that miserable day
since that miserable day
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Însă timp de şapte decenii,
01:43
when my mother put me on the train
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de când mama m-a urcat in tren,
01:45
than I would ever have dreamed possible.
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am făcut mai mult decât am visat vreodată.
01:48
And I love England, my adopted country,
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Iubesc Anglia, ţara care m-a adoptat,
01:51
with a passion that perhaps only someone
who has lost their human rights can feel.
who has lost their human rights can feel.
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cu o pasiune pe care doar cineva
în situaţia mea poate.
în situaţia mea poate.
01:57
I decided to make mine a life
that was worth saving.
that was worth saving.
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Mi-am promis să fac
ca salvarea vieţii mele să fi meritat.
ca salvarea vieţii mele să fi meritat.
02:04
And then, I just got on with it.
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Şi apoi m-am apucat de treabă.
02:07
(Laughter)
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(Râsete)
02:11
Let me take you back to the early 1960s.
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Să ne întoarcem la începutul anilor '60.
02:15
To get past the gender issues of the time,
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Trecând peste preconceptele
despre sexe ale vremii
despre sexe ale vremii
02:19
I set up my own software house at one
of the first such startups in Britain.
of the first such startups in Britain.
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am înfiinţat compania ca un startup.
02:26
But it was also a company of women,
a company for women,
a company for women,
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Era o companie a femeilor, pentru femei
02:32
an early social business.
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o afacere socială timpurie.
02:35
And people laughed at the very idea
because software, at that time,
because software, at that time,
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Oamenii au râs de idee,
pentru că pe atunci softul
pentru că pe atunci softul
02:39
was given away free with hardware.
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era vândut gratis odată cu hardul.
02:41
Nobody would buy software,
certainly not from a woman.
certainly not from a woman.
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Nimeni n-ar fi cumpărat soft,
mai ales de la o femeie.
mai ales de la o femeie.
02:45
Although women were then coming out
of the universities with decent degrees,
of the universities with decent degrees,
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Deşi femeile absolveau universităţi
02:51
there was a glass ceiling to our progress.
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nu eram lăsate să progresăm.
02:56
And I'd hit that glass ceiling too often,
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M-am lovit de această barieră
destul de des
destul de des
03:00
and I wanted opportunities for women.
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şi am dorit oportunităţi pentru femei.
03:04
I recruited professionally qualified women
who'd left the industry on marriage,
who'd left the industry on marriage,
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Am recrutat femei calificate, casnice,
03:09
or when their first child was expected
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sau viitoare mame
03:11
and structured them into a
home-working organization.
home-working organization.
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şi am început
să lucrăm organizat de acasă.
să lucrăm organizat de acasă.
03:16
We pioneered the concept of women
going back into the workforce
going back into the workforce
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Am promovat dreptul la muncă al femeii
03:21
after a career break.
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după pauzele din carieră.
03:23
We pioneered all sorts of
new, flexible work methods:
new, flexible work methods:
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Am promovat metode diferite, flexibile:
03:27
job shares, profit-sharing,
and eventually, co-ownership
and eventually, co-ownership
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munca part-time, participarea la profit
şi co-participarea
şi co-participarea
03:32
when I took a quarter of the company
into the hands of the staff
into the hands of the staff
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când am încredinţat angajaţilor
un sfert din companie pe cheltuiala mea.
un sfert din companie pe cheltuiala mea.
03:36
at no cost to anyone but me.
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03:41
For years, I was the first woman this,
or the only woman that.
or the only woman that.
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Mulţi ani m-am ocupat de toate aspectele.
03:47
And in those days, I couldn't work
on the stock exchange,
on the stock exchange,
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Pe atunci nu puteam licita la bursă,
03:51
I couldn't drive a bus or fly an airplane.
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nu puteam avea un autobuz sau un avion,
03:55
Indeed, I couldn't open a bank account
without my husband's permission.
without my husband's permission.
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nici cont bancar fără aprobarea soţului.
04:01
My generation of women fought
the battles for the right to work
the battles for the right to work
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Generaţia mea s-a luptat pentru
dreptul la muncă al femeilor
dreptul la muncă al femeilor
04:05
and the right for equal pay.
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şi pentru egalitate la remunerare.
04:10
Nobody really expected much
from people at work or in society
from people at work or in society
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Se aştepta puţin de la femei,
la muncă sau în societate
la muncă sau în societate
04:14
because all the expectations then
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pentru că acestea se concentrau
pe casă şi familie.
pe casă şi familie.
04:16
were about home and
family responsibilities.
family responsibilities.
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04:20
And I couldn't really face that,
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Eu nu m-am putut obişnui cu asta
04:23
so I started to challenge
the conventions of the time,
the conventions of the time,
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aşa că am început să contest normele
04:29
even to the extent of changing my name
from "Stephanie" to "Steve"
from "Stephanie" to "Steve"
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şi mi-am schimbat chiar numele
din „Stephanie" în „Steve"
din „Stephanie" în „Steve"
04:35
in my business development letters,
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în scrisorile de prezentare
04:36
so as to get through the door
before anyone realized
before anyone realized
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pentru a avea acces înainte ca
cineva să realizee
cineva să realizee
04:39
that he was a she.
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ca „el” era de fapt o „ea”.
04:40
(Laughter)
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(Râsete)
04:44
My company, called Freelance Programmers,
and that's precisely what it was,
and that's precisely what it was,
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Compania mea, numită Programatori
Liberprofesionişti, asta şi era,
Liberprofesionişti, asta şi era,
04:51
couldn't have started smaller:
on the dining room table,
on the dining room table,
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a început la masa din sufragerie
04:56
and financed by the equivalent
of 100 dollars in today's terms,
of 100 dollars in today's terms,
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cu un capital echivalat azi
la 100 de dolari,
la 100 de dolari,
05:01
and financed by my labor and
by borrowing against the house.
by borrowing against the house.
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finanţat prin munca mea
şi folosind banii alocaţi casei.
şi folosind banii alocaţi casei.
05:08
My interests were scientific,
the market was commercial --
the market was commercial --
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Interesul meu era ştiinţific,
piaţa era comercială -
piaţa era comercială -
05:14
things such as payroll,
which I found rather boring.
which I found rather boring.
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găseam lucruri ca statul de
plată plictisitoare.
plată plictisitoare.
05:18
So I had to compromise with
operational research work,
operational research work,
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Asa că am făcut un compromis
apelând la resurse externe
apelând la resurse externe
05:23
which had the intellectual challenge
that interested me
that interested me
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care se confruntau cu aceleaşi
provocări intelectuale
provocări intelectuale
05:27
and the commercial value
that was valued by the clients:
that was valued by the clients:
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şi cu valoarea comercială
importantă pentru clienţi:
importantă pentru clienţi:
05:34
things like scheduling freight trains,
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planificarea transportului de marfă,
05:40
time-tabling buses, stock control,
lots and lots of stock control.
lots and lots of stock control.
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programul autobuzelor şi
controlul stocurilor.
controlul stocurilor.
05:46
And eventually, the work came in.
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Şi în final am avut de lucru.
05:50
We disguised the domestic and
part-time nature of the staff
part-time nature of the staff
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Am ascuns natura domestică şi
part-time a conducerii
part-time a conducerii
05:54
by offering fixed prices,
one of the very first to do so.
one of the very first to do so.
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oferind preţuri fixe.
Am fost printre primii la asta.
Am fost printre primii la asta.
05:59
And who would have guessed
that the programming
that the programming
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Cine ar fi ghicit că programarea
06:02
of the black box flight recorder
of Supersonic Concord
of Supersonic Concord
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cutiei negre a supersonicului Concord
06:06
would have been done by a bunch
of women working in their own homes.
of women working in their own homes.
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a fost făcută de câteva femei
care lucrau acasă.
care lucrau acasă.
06:11
(Applause)
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(Aplauze)
06:19
All we used was a simple
"trust the staff" approach
"trust the staff" approach
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Am folosit abordarea „încredere în staf"
06:24
and a simple telephone.
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şi un simplu telefon.
06:26
We even used to ask job applicants,
"Do you have access to a telephone?"
"Do you have access to a telephone?"
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Întrebam aplicanţii:
„Aveţi acces la telefon?"
„Aveţi acces la telefon?"
06:34
An early project was to develop
software standards
software standards
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Un prim proiect a fost
să dezvoltăm standardele soft
să dezvoltăm standardele soft
06:37
on management control protocols.
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pentru protocoale de control
în management.
în management.
06:39
And software was and still is a
maddeningly hard-to-control activity,
maddeningly hard-to-control activity,
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Iar softul a fost şi este încă
o activitate care te înnebuneşte
o activitate care te înnebuneşte
06:45
so that was enormously valuable.
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dar care are o mare valoare.
06:47
We used the standards ourselves,
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Am folosit standardele,
06:49
we were even paid to update
them over the years,
them over the years,
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am plătit pentru a le actualiza
06:52
and eventually, they were adopted by NATO.
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şi în final au fost adoptate de NATO.
06:58
Our programmers -- remember, only women,
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Programatorii noştri -
care erau doar femei,
care erau doar femei,
07:02
including gay and transgender --
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inclusiv homosexuali şi transsexuali -
07:05
worked with pencil and paper
to develop flowcharts
to develop flowcharts
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au lucrat cu creion şi hârtie
pentru a elabora diagrame
pentru a elabora diagrame
07:10
defining each task to be done.
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definind fiecare sarcină.
07:14
And they then wrote code,
usually machine code,
usually machine code,
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Apoi scriau cod, de obicei cod maşină
07:18
sometimes binary code,
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câteodată cod binar
07:20
which was then sent
by mail to a data center
by mail to a data center
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care era trimis pe mail
unui centru de date
unui centru de date
07:25
to be punched onto
paper tape or card
paper tape or card
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pentru a fi perforat pe cartele sau card
07:29
and then re-punched,
in order to verify it.
in order to verify it.
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şi apoi reperforat pentru a fi verificat.
07:34
All this, before it ever got
near a computer.
near a computer.
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Toate astea înainte
de a ajunge la computer.
de a ajunge la computer.
07:37
That was programming in the early 1960s.
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Aşa arăta programarea la
începutul anilor '60.
începutul anilor '60.
07:43
In 1975, 13 years from startup,
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În 1975, la 13 ani de la
începerea activităţii,
începerea activităţii,
07:48
equal opportunity legislation
came in in Britain
came in in Britain
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a apărut în Anglia o legislaţie
a drepturilor egale
a drepturilor egale
07:51
and that made it illegal to have
our pro-female policies.
our pro-female policies.
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iar politicile noastre pro-feministe
au devenit ilegale.
au devenit ilegale.
07:58
And as an example of
unintended consequences,
unintended consequences,
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Un exemplu al consecinţelor nedorite
08:02
my female company had to let the men in.
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a fost intrarea bărbaţilor în
compania mea de femei.
compania mea de femei.
08:06
(Laughter)
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(Râsete)
08:11
When I started my company of women,
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Când am început această companie de femei
08:13
the men said, "How interesting, because
it only works because it's small."
it only works because it's small."
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bărbaţii au spus că funcţionează
doar pentru că e o companie mică.
doar pentru că e o companie mică.
08:20
And later, as it became sizable,
they accepted, "Yes, it is sizable now,
they accepted, "Yes, it is sizable now,
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După ce a devenit mai mare au acceptat:
„Da, acum s-a mărit,
„Da, acum s-a mărit,
08:26
but of no strategic interest."
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dar profitul nu e strategic."
08:30
And later, when it was a company
valued at over three billion dollars,
valued at over three billion dollars,
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Mai târziu când valora
peste trei miliarde de dolari
peste trei miliarde de dolari
08:37
and I'd made 70 of the staff
into millionaires,
into millionaires,
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şi 70 din membrii de conducere
erau milionari
erau milionari
08:41
they sort of said, "Well done, Steve!"
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au spus : „Bravo, Steve!"
08:45
(Laughter)
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(Râsete)
08:49
(Applause)
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(Aplauze)
08:53
You can always tell ambitious women
by the shape of our heads:
by the shape of our heads:
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Poţi spune dacă o femeie e ambiţioasă
după forma capului:
după forma capului:
08:58
They're flat on top for being
patted patronizingly.
patted patronizingly.
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Are capul plat
de câtă condescendenţă îndură.
de câtă condescendenţă îndură.
09:01
(Laughter) (Applause)
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(Râsete)
(Aplauze)
(Aplauze)
09:07
And we have larger feet to stand
away from the kitchen sink.
away from the kitchen sink.
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Şi avem picioare mari care ne ţin departe
de chiuveta de la bucătărie.
de chiuveta de la bucătărie.
09:12
(Laughter)
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(Râsete)
09:13
Let me share with you
two secrets of success:
two secrets of success:
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Vreau să vă împărtăşesc două
secrete de succes:
secrete de succes:
09:17
Surround yourself with first-class people
and people that you like;
and people that you like;
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Înconjuraţi-vă de oameni de calitate
şi care vă plac
şi care vă plac
09:23
and choose your partner
very, very carefully.
very, very carefully.
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şi alegeţi-vă partenerii
cu foarte mare grijă.
cu foarte mare grijă.
09:30
Because the other day when I said,
"My husband's an angel,"
"My husband's an angel,"
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Zilele trecute am spus:
„Soţul meu este un înger"
„Soţul meu este un înger"
09:33
a woman complained --
"You're lucky," she said,
"You're lucky," she said,
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şi o femeie a spus : "Eşti norocoasă,
09:35
"mine's still alive."
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al meu este încă în viaţă."
09:37
(Laughter)
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(Râsete)
09:45
If success were easy,
we'd all be millionaires.
we'd all be millionaires.
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Toţi am fi milionari
dacă ar fi uşor să ai succes.
dacă ar fi uşor să ai succes.
09:51
But in my case, it came in the midst
of family trauma and indeed, crisis.
of family trauma and indeed, crisis.
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La mine succesul a apărut în mijlocul
unei crize şi traume de familie.
unei crize şi traume de familie.
10:01
Our late son, Giles, was an only child,
a beautiful, contented baby.
a beautiful, contented baby.
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Fiul nostru Giles a fost
un copil minunat şi plăcut.
un copil minunat şi plăcut.
10:09
And then, at two and a half,
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Apoi la doi ani şi jumătate
10:13
like a changeling in a fairy story,
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lucrurile s-au schimbat brusc,
10:16
he lost the little speech that he had
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şi-a pierdut capacitatea de a vorbi,
10:20
and turned into a wild,
unmanageable toddler.
unmanageable toddler.
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a devenit sălbatic, imposibil de stăpânit.
10:25
Not the terrible twos;
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Amândouă;
10:27
he was profoundly autistic
and he never spoke again.
and he never spoke again.
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era profund autist
şi nu a mai vorbit vreodată.
şi nu a mai vorbit vreodată.
10:36
Giles was the first resident in the first
house of the first charity that I set up
house of the first charity that I set up
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Giles a fost primul rezident
din prima casă
din prima casă
10:41
to pioneer services for autism.
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pentru copii autişti.
10:45
And then there's been
a groundbreaking Prior's Court school
a groundbreaking Prior's Court school
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A fost apoi Şcoala Prior Court
10:48
for pupils with autism
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pentru elevii cu autism,
10:50
and a medical research charity,
again, all for autism.
again, all for autism.
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la o organizaţie de caritate pentru
cercetări în domeniu.
cercetări în domeniu.
10:54
Because whenever I found a gap
in services, I tried to help.
in services, I tried to help.
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Când sesizam că lipseşte ceva,
încercam să ajut.
încercam să ajut.
11:01
I like doing new things
and making new things happen.
and making new things happen.
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Îmi place să fac lucruri noi
şi să le pun în mişcare.
şi să le pun în mişcare.
11:06
And I've just started a three-year
think tank for autism.
think tank for autism.
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Şi am început un think-tank de 3 ani
pentru autism.
pentru autism.
11:13
And so that some of my wealth does go back
to the industry from which it stems,
to the industry from which it stems,
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O parte din câştigul meu se întoarce
de unde provine,
de unde provine,
11:18
I've also founded
the Oxford Internet Institute
the Oxford Internet Institute
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am fondat de asemenea Institutul
de Internet Oxford
de Internet Oxford
11:22
and other IT ventures.
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şi alte societăţi IT.
11:24
The Oxford Internet Institute
focuses not on the technology,
focuses not on the technology,
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Acest Institut nu se concentrează
pe tehnologie
pe tehnologie
11:28
but on the social, economic, legal
and ethical issues of the Internet.
and ethical issues of the Internet.
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ci pe probleme sociale, economice
şi etice legate de internet.
şi etice legate de internet.
11:35
Giles died unexpectedly 17 years ago now.
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Giles a murit neaşteptat acum 17 ani.
11:42
And I have learned to live without him,
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Am învăţat să trăiesc fără el
11:46
and I have learned to live
without his need of me.
without his need of me.
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şi fără nevoia lui de mine.
11:51
Philanthropy is all that I do now.
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Acum mă ocup doar de filantropie.
11:54
I need never worry about getting lost
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Nu mă tem că o să mă pierd
11:57
because several charities
would quickly come and find me.
would quickly come and find me.
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pentru că mereu mă găseşte cineva.
12:00
(Laughter)
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(Râsete)
12:12
It's one thing to have an idea
for an enterprise,
for an enterprise,
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Este bine să ai o idee de afaceri
12:16
but as many people in this room will know,
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însă aşa cum mulţi oameni ştiu
12:19
making it happen is a very difficult thing
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este difici să faci lucrurile
să funcţioneze
să funcţioneze
12:22
and it demands extraordinary energy,
self-belief and determination,
self-belief and determination,
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pentru că necesită multă energie,
încredere şi voinţă,
încredere şi voinţă,
12:30
the courage to risk family and home,
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curajul de a risca familia şi căminul
12:34
and a 24/7 commitment
that borders on the obsessive.
that borders on the obsessive.
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şi un angajament aproape obsesiv
24 de ore din 24.
24 de ore din 24.
12:39
So it's just as well
that I'm a workaholic.
that I'm a workaholic.
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Pot spune că sunt dependentă de muncă.
12:43
I believe in the beauty of work when we
do it properly and in humility.
do it properly and in humility.
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Cred în frumuseţea muncii
făcută corect şi cu smerenie.
făcută corect şi cu smerenie.
12:50
Work is not just something I do
when I'd rather be doing something else.
when I'd rather be doing something else.
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Eu nu lucrez doar
pentru că nu am ce face.
pentru că nu am ce face.
12:57
We live our lives forward.
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Ne trăim mai departe viaţa.
12:59
So what has all that taught me?
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Ce am învăţat din toate astea?
13:04
I learned that tomorrow's
never going to be like today,
never going to be like today,
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Că mâine nu va fi niciodată ca azi
13:07
and certainly nothing like yesterday.
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şi cu siguranţă nici ca ieri.
13:10
And that made me able to cope with change,
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Şi asta m-a ajutat
să gestionez schimbările
să gestionez schimbările
13:14
indeed, eventually to welcome change,
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şi în unele cazuri
să le primesc detaşat,
să le primesc detaşat,
13:18
though I'm told I'm still very difficult.
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deşi mi s-a spus că sunt încă
o persoană dificilă.
o persoană dificilă.
13:23
Thank you very much.
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Vă mulţumesc mult.
13:25
(Applause)
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(Aplauze)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dame Stephanie Shirley - Entrepreneur and philanthropistIn 1962, Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley founded Freelance Programmers, a software firm with innovative work practices -- and (mainly) women employees.
Why you should listen
In the austerity of post-World War II England, jobs were few, and opportunities for women to earn a wage were even fewer. So, on her dining room table, Stephanie Shirley founded the kind of company she'd like to work for -- one that posed challenging, rewarding tasks, built around flexible work rules that made it possible to have a real life. Her software company, Freelance Programmers made her one of the richest women in England (and one of the few to have earned her own money). Initially employing only women -- Shirley often bid for contracts as "Steve" to compete in the male-dominated industry -- the company was eventually valued at $3 billion, while 70 of the staff became millionaires when it floated on the stock market.
But money wasn't Shirley's object. "A lot of people go into business to make money," she told the Guardian. "I really didn't; I went in with a mission for women. Conversely, I was determined never, ever to be poor again." Freelance Programmers became the FI Group became Xansa; it was acquired by Steria in 2007.
Shirley retired in 1993, but she hasn't stopped pushing for progress in the fields she loves. For instance, she works tirelessly to push forward research into autism spectrum disorders, as well as to study and improve the IT industry and the role of the internet in society. She told the Guardian, "I do get committed, and I don't just give my money; I try to give of myself."
Dame Stephanie Shirley | Speaker | TED.com