Show Notes
"There are so many women who walked so we could run. Now we have to stand for each other and keep pushing boundaries. It's your world too."
Building a tech startup is never easy. But what happens when you're also a woman of color, an expat, and trying to find your place in a male-dominated industry?
In this episode, I sat down with Drishya, co-founder of InfraPal, an AI-powered cloud infrastructure startup in Berlin. Originally from India, Drishya's journey took her from studying marketing in Paris to working at a fintech startup in Berlin, then freelancing as a product designer before becoming a founder.
We talked about how her experiences as an employee and freelancer shaped her entrepreneurial mindset, how her team secured support through German startup grants and accelerator programs, and what it's really like to pitch a tech product when people underestimate you before you've even started speaking.
But this conversation goes beyond funding and building a business. It's about dealing with rejection, challenging the expectations placed on women, learning to take risks, and finding the courage to take up space in rooms where you might not feel welcome.
If you're an international woman considering entrepreneurship in Germany, or simply someone who's ever doubted whether you belong, this episode is for you.
「About Drishya」 Product designer, marketer, co-founder of InfraPal, an AI-powered cloud infrastructure optimisation startup in Berlin.
She studied Marketing & Creativity at ESCP Business School and has worked across Paris, Dubai, and Berlin. Her entrepreneurial journey has been supported by German startup initiatives, including EXIST Women, the EXIST Startup Grant, Migrant Accelerator, and AiDiA in cooperation with Accenture.
「Timeline」 01:45 From product marketing to tech entrepreneurship� 02:27 Why she moved from Paris to Berlin with a one-way ticket� 06:03 Working at a fast-growing German fintech startup� 09:25 How freelancing developed her entrepreneurial mindset� 13:43 Freelancer vs. founder: Are they really that different?� 18:25 Getting startup funding as international founders in Germany� 23:37 Facing rejection as a woman of color in tech� 26:24 How to handle rejection without losing confidence� 30:14 Does being a female founder offer advantages in Germany?� 37:28 Why women need to become more comfortable taking risks� 44:20 Why women supporting women matters� 45:51 Don't be afraid to fail: Every rejection is part of the journey
「Follow Drishya」� LinkedIn: Drishya Ramesh
「Follow Ann Lin」 Instagram: ann_lin66� YouTube: Ann Li
More from 逆行人生 FIND MY WAY
这期节目，我邀请了很多老听众都很熟悉的朋友——丸子里里。 我们认识已经十多年了。从刚开始自由职业、环球旅行，到后来一起住在杭州，再到如今，一个在柏林，一个在大理，我们几乎见证了彼此过去十年的人生变化。 这一次再聊天，她的人生又进入了一个新阶段： 一个自由职业十年、热爱环球旅行、享受高度自由生活的人，在没有计划的情况下，迎来了人生最大的变量——怀孕。 说实话，我挺意外的。这一期，我们没有讨论要不要生孩子，也没有聊育儿经验。 更多是在聊，从怀孕后第一次真正理解职场女性面临的压力，到男女进入父母角色节奏的不同。 聊到最后，我们都觉得，人其实会不断推翻过去的自己。 很多曾经坚信的事情，会因为新的身份和人生体验，而拥有新的答案。
2.5 years ago, Zara chose entrepreneurship over a job offer. 2.5 years later, she chose to shut her company down. Surprisingly, she doesn't regret either decision.
在公司的会议室里，你提了一个想法，没人接话，5分钟后，白人男同事说了差不多的内容，全场开始热烈讨论——这可能是很多在欧洲工作的亚洲女性都经历过的时刻。
这是一期全英播客，Startup Women 系列采访的第二期。
亚洲女性在欧洲，本就是少数群体。更别提在欧洲创业的亚洲女性，更加凤毛麟角。2025年的某篇德媒文章显示，在德国的创业市场中，女性创业者只占19%-20%，且91%的投资都流向了全男性团队。 在陌生的国家、语言和文化语境下，亚洲女性如何突破性别和少数族裔的双重困境，在欧洲市场找到自己的立足之地？