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Hatch Rooftop Sesh with Lucy Wark @ NORMAL

Hatch Team

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Nov 2, 2022
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min read

We sat down with Lucy Wark, Founder of NORMAL for all her juicy career tips and stories of running a sex-tech startup.

Last week was our Hatch Rooftop Session in Sydney and what a turnout! It was a night of sweet tunes, unlimited snacks and as the sun was setting, we got up close and personal for a fireside chat with Lucy Wark, Founder of NORMAL - a sex-tech startup.

How and why did Lucy create NORMAL? What’s it like running a modern sex-tech company? How do I land a job at an awesome startup like this one? If you’re wondering any of these things, then watch the full fireside chat between Lucy and our Co-Founder, Adam below or scroll down for some highlights.

Trigger warning: This video contains conversations about sex and sexual assault, which may be upsetting or triggering.

Lucy's top career tips

Startups hire for strengths and passion, not what’s on paper.

The world of startups is higher on chaos, but also higher on autonomy. 🚀 These environments appreciate obsession, commitment and self starters, not just classic resumes. If you want to work at a startup, go beyond your resume to share about your passions and personal projects. Show teams your capabilities through how you would approach particular challenges and tasks. Watch this snippet


Get your professional hygiene down pat sooner than later. 💻

No matter where you start your career, it’s important to have good professional hygiene. We’re talking about knowing how to run a meeting, how to run a project, how to manage your work relationships and how to keep yourself accountable. Learning these skills early on will help you get ahead. Watch this snippet


Ask for context and space to grow.

Lucy believes that her team members thrive because they’re given space and context (rather than constraint), so they can get creative and deliver their best work. Context can include the problems you’re trying to solve, like “what does the customer need?” So, don’t be afraid to ask for context in the work you’re doing so you can learn and confidently take ownership. Watch this snippet


What else did we learn from Lucy?


🍑 Conversations about sex should be open, casual and NORMAL.

Australia is still a long way behind in how we talk about sex. It can feel very fraught, when it should be a very casual and normal conversation. While governments are starting to move with new consent education and digital safety, progress is still too slow. Most of the time, young people are still getting their sex education online from porn, pop culture and social media. Through research, science and advocacy, NORMAL is set to become a global, trusted, scientific approach to sex education. Watch this snippet


Remember to alternate arms...

Lucy’s first job was scooping ice cream. Her biggest learning from this job? If you only use one arm, it will get much stronger than the other. It’s important to vary the arms you use for whatever activities you’re doing. 😏 Watch this snippet


Dogs do confuse sex toys for, well, actual toys!

The weirdest and most common customer service enquiry at NORMAL? A lot of customers contact the team, because their dog accidentally ate their sex toy! Watch this snippet

Our Hatch Rooftop Sessions in Sydney bring an awesome bunch of people together from our community of top employers, candidates and jobseekers in Sydney. Every event is an opportunity to learn something new, make new friends, connect with the Hatch team and most importantly - have a good time after hours!

📷 Check out some happy snaps from the night.

Thanks to everyone who made it!

Missed out on the night? 👋 Sign up to our newsletter and we’ll see you at the next one.

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