Start Before You Feel Ready: Building a Tech Startup in Your 20s with Natesha Mortimer
In this episode of Her Career Unplugged, Joanne and Vimala sit down with Natesha Mortimer — data scientist, founder of Data Swale, and self-described "Community Data Scientist" — for a real, energetic conversation about building a tech startup in your 20s. Natesha shares how a chance meetup connection dragged her into entrepreneurship after COVID, why she has never really felt "ready" for anything (and why that's okay), and the raw reality of running a company solo — where your passion becomes the smallest fraction of your actual workday. From her flywheel analogy for showing up consistently to her triangle framework for avoiding burnout, Natesha brings the kind of grounded confidence that comes from being consistently the only person in the room who looks like her — and choosing not to give energy to imposter syndrome.
Show Notes
- How Natesha stumbled into entrepreneurship after COVID through community meetups — not a grand business plan, but a connection that circled back months later.
- Why she never really felt "ready" to start Data Swale — and why that's the point.
- The reality vs. social media version of entrepreneurship: as a solo founder, your actual passion becomes a small fraction of your workday — you're also the accountant, the marketer, and the networker.
- Why entrepreneurship can feel lonely — and why surrounding yourself with peers who are going through the same struggle changes everything.
- How to build your support system: connect authentically at community events, not just to collect LinkedIn connections. Employee resource groups, Meetup.com, and Eventbrite are all good starting points.
- For college students: leverage school Slack channels, student resource groups, and seek out entrepreneurship and tech-specific events — not just the fun ones.
- Natesha's take on imposter syndrome: "I don't give energy to it — it doesn't benefit me." Being the only person in the room who looks like you means you've already earned your place in it.
- Advice for women entering tech or entrepreneurship: find a support system, and just show up — even to events you know nothing about, or to reach out to people who feel out of your league.
- The flywheel analogy: every time you show up, the flywheel spins a little faster — and eventually, the right people and opportunities find you.
- Natesha's triangle method for avoiding burnout: balance social, health, and career/accomplishments on your weekly agenda — and be flexible enough to listen when one bucket is running empty.
- Rapid fire: most-used app is VS Code; working style is "direct"; alternate life = sustainable agricultural community developer; most underrated career skill = genuine relationship building; she skips coffee, tea, and matcha for homemade juice.
- One thing she wishes more young women believed: "You're capable. If you truly desire it, it's going to happen."