Girlboss, the startup founded by Sophia Amoruso, recently launched what is being called a “LinkedIn for millenial women,” its website platform, Girlboss.com. Sophia Amoruso is the founder of Nasty Gal, a company that began with her selling vintage clothing on eBay. She then went on to document her journey to becoming a CEO in her book #GIRLBOSS, which garnered massive attention. In her book, she presents advice based on her own experience as a woman in business, and her new networking site presents a hopeful opportunity for women to enter the world of business and network in a community tailored to a community of women entrepreneurs.
There are numerous differences between LinkedIn and Girlboss.com, starting with the way in which Girlboss forces you to create more meaningful connections. On LinkedIn, one can send in numerous connection requests, and oftentimes people end up just trying to amass as many connections as possible without truly analyzing what connections they’re making and whether or not they will prove useful. Pavithra Mohan reported in FastCompany that this site only allows you to send one request a day and you have to specify why you are interested in making said connection.
Additionally, Girboss’s professional network offers women a space to showcase more of their personality in conjunction to their talents. CNN reports that the site allows users to specify their zodiac and their Myers-Brigg personality type. Apart from this, it also emphasizes growth by asking users what they would like to learn in addition to what they’re already skilled at.
Girlboss is a promising networking site. Creating spaces in which women can interact for business purposes is important because for so long, business and entrepreneurship has been a realm dominated by men, created and molded for men that build relationships which severely limit who can enter this sphere. Girlboss is one way in which women can create their own spaces to network, learn, and share successes in a way that celebrates the unique perspectives and talents each person brings. Additionally, it could encourage other sites to aim to create spaces for people who want to create meaningful connections by placing less emphasis on the number of connections and more on cultivating significant ones.