57- Becoming the Woman She Needed: Matshidiso Tladi’s Rise From Uncertainty to Principal Architect
Wed Nov 26 2025
In this episode, I sit down with my former classmate Matshidiso Tladi, now a Principal Technical Solution Architect, to retrace her journey from uncertainty after matric to leading high-stakes technology teams.
She opens up about quitting nursing after a month, dropping psychology, and spending years feeling lost before a learnership finally introduced her to tech. From hardware support to software development, consulting, banking and now architecture, her story is one of courage, curiosity and choosing purpose even when the path felt unclear.
We talk about imposter syndrome, being a highly technical Black woman in male-dominated rooms, the constant pressure to prove yourself, and how she anchors herself through competence, consistency and giving herself grace. She also shares the toughest chapter in her career, the moment she knew she truly belonged in tech, and what keeps her grounded today.
We close the episode with a beautiful letter she reads to her 10-year-old self… a reminder that you don’t need to have everything figured out to build a meaningful and impactful life.
What We CoverHow she discovered tech after years of uncertaintyMoving from hardware to software and finding her passionConsulting, banking and navigating high-pressure technology environmentsTransitioning into architecture and leading technical teamsManaging imposter syndrome and documenting her achievementsBeing a woman of color in technical leadership spacesHer advice for young women entering techThe emotional letter to her younger self
Also follow us on instagram @she_talks_tech_podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More
In this episode, I sit down with my former classmate Matshidiso Tladi, now a Principal Technical Solution Architect, to retrace her journey from uncertainty after matric to leading high-stakes technology teams. She opens up about quitting nursing after a month, dropping psychology, and spending years feeling lost before a learnership finally introduced her to tech. From hardware support to software development, consulting, banking and now architecture, her story is one of courage, curiosity and choosing purpose even when the path felt unclear. We talk about imposter syndrome, being a highly technical Black woman in male-dominated rooms, the constant pressure to prove yourself, and how she anchors herself through competence, consistency and giving herself grace. She also shares the toughest chapter in her career, the moment she knew she truly belonged in tech, and what keeps her grounded today. We close the episode with a beautiful letter she reads to her 10-year-old self… a reminder that you don’t need to have everything figured out to build a meaningful and impactful life. What We CoverHow she discovered tech after years of uncertaintyMoving from hardware to software and finding her passionConsulting, banking and navigating high-pressure technology environmentsTransitioning into architecture and leading technical teamsManaging imposter syndrome and documenting her achievementsBeing a woman of color in technical leadership spacesHer advice for young women entering techThe emotional letter to her younger self Also follow us on instagram @she_talks_tech_podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.