Power Up

In the 1990s, Sandra Bullock was America's sweetheart, the girl next door who just happened to be a movie star. But behind the scenes, she was quietly building a different kind of power. While her peers were chasing roles, Bullock founded her own production company, Fortis Films. It was a strategic machine. She started optioning scripts, developing projects, and producing her own work, giving herself control over her career trajectory long before it was common for A-list actresses to do so. She was creating the parts herself, from the ground up. This shift from actor-for-hire to producer-in-charge was a calculated move for creative and financial autonomy in an industry not known for granting it.

That same instinct—the drive to build your own system when the existing one doesn't serve you—is what propelled Magdalena Yesil through the nascent world of Silicon Valley. Arriving in the U.S. from Turkey with two suitcases and a fierce ambition, she became one of the first engineers at Oracle and, later, the first investor and a founding board member of Salesforce. She saw firsthand how the game was played and realized that waiting for an invitation to the table wasn't an option. Observing a generation of brilliant women being sidelined or quitting, she felt a responsibility to document the unwritten rules and hidden dynamics she had mastered. This book is a playbook drawn from decades of experience building and investing in some of the world's most influential technology companies.

Module 1: The Internal Power Source

The core idea of the book is about igniting an engine. Yesil calls this "Powering UP." It’s an internal process. It’s about generating your own drive, confidence, and energy. You can't rely on external validation. You can't wait for a boss to notice you or for a system to become fair. Your primary energy source must be you.

This leads to the first critical insight: Focus on opportunities, not on obstacles. Yesil shares a powerful story. She was on a panel at a G20 summit. A researcher had just presented depressing data on the barriers women face. Then, Yesil was asked about her own challenges as a woman in tech. She gave a contrarian answer. She said she couldn't think of a single door that was permanently shut because of her gender. In fact, she felt it had opened some doors. Later, the researcher approached her. She told Yesil that her success was likely because she ignored those statistics. She acted as if she had an equal shot.

Think of it like riding a motorcycle. You see rocks and debris on the road. You acknowledge them. But you don't stare at them. You focus on the clear path ahead. Staring at the obstacle is how you crash. This is a mental shift. It's about choosing where to direct your focus and energy.

From this foundation, you can act with the belief that you belong in every room. This is a quiet, unshakeable self-assurance. Yesil tells a hilarious story about this. She was the only woman on a corporate board. During a heated discussion, she followed her male colleagues out of the room, still making her point. She walked right into the men's restroom without realizing it. When she finished her sentence, she turned and walked out. She wasn't embarrassed. She was just annoyed she might have missed part of the conversation. Her male colleagues were so impressed by her unflappable confidence that the incident became a legendary icebreaker. She didn't ask for permission to be there. She just was. This mindset communicates that you are an equal, and it forces others to treat you as one.