ICYMI The Great Girlboss Comeback
Aug 16, 2025
Scaachi Koul, a senior writer at Slate and host of Scanfluencers, joins for a lively discussion on the revival of the 'girlboss' narrative. They delve into the controversial comebacks of figures like Audrey Gelman and Ty Haney, questioning the viability of their new projects. The conversation challenges the commercialization of feminism and examines the societal pressures young female entrepreneurs face today. They also reflect on redemption arcs for public figures and the shifting dynamics of female leadership in a post-girlboss world.
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Collapse Was Individual And Systemic
- Many high-profile female founders fell amid exposés revealing racist or abusive workplaces.
- Those public failures fueled a backlash that conflated individual wrongdoing with systemic investor and startup pressures.
The Wing Exposé Example
- Scaachi reads an exposé excerpt describing Black employees serving a crew of redheads at a community event at The Wing.
- The passage illustrated how performative feminism masked discriminatory labor practices.
Slack Abuse Story
- Scaachi reads an employee description of a CEO who berated staff on public Slack and made them cry.
- That behavior mirrored reports from multiple startups and became emblematic of toxic founder culture.
