Intermediate path

Personal essays

Essays that start from the writer's own life: Tracy Chou on running and on working in tech, Morgan Housel on risk, Roxane Gay on likability and Ellen Pao on Silicon Valley. You'll practice a first-person voice and the move from a story to an argument.

Start the path

5 essays

Essays in this path

  1. Step 1

    Trail running

    by Tracy Chou

    A meditation on being a startup founder

    Advanced · Short

  2. Step 2

    System Malfunction

    by Tracy Chou

    With a global spotlight thrown on sexual misconduct, software engineer Tracy Chou assesses the impact this new awareness has had in the male-dominated tech industry.

    Advanced · Short

  3. Step 3

    The Three Sides of Risk

    by Morgan Housel

    A personal story about risk that shows how we often misunderstand its true nature and implications.

    Beginner · Medium

  4. Step 4

    Not Here to Make Friends

    by Roxane Gay

    Analysis of likability in literature and its gendered implications.

    Intermediate · Long

  5. Step 5

    This Is How Sexism Works in Silicon Valley

    by Ellen Pao

    Personal account and analysis of systemic gender discrimination in tech.

    Beginner · Long