TECH
READ
ELLE.COM.AU / @ELLEAUS 55
number of people identifying as bi-curious is growing,
so people want to know about their sexuality, explore
it, not have the pressure of saying, ‘I am a lesbian,’
period. It’s like, ‘I’m interested in women, I’m interested
in making out with a girl, I’m interested in going to
a queer dance party, I’m interested in exploring part
of what makes me me.’”
Despite the steep and lengthy learning curve Exton
embarked on to enable her dream to become a reality,
ȱǰȱȱȱȂȱȱȱĴǯȱȃȱ
the time, I felt like I was miles behind. I remember
thinking, ‘Oh my God, we’re too slow, other people are
ȱȱȱǯȂȱȱȱȱǰȱȱ ȱȱ
products that were [trying to do] the same thing by
taking a gay guy app and making it pink... I think you
always feel behind slightly when you’re running
a company; you always want to be 10 more steps ahead.
But [the app] was needed – that’s the main thing.
ȱ ȱǰȱȱȱǰȱ ȱȱ¢ȱ
ignored and not given a product that actually works.”
Her advice to other women considering their own
venture: armour up and believe in yourselfǯȱȃThere’s
ę¢ȱȱȱ – there aren’t enough
women coming into [tech], and I think that generallywhen you look at gendered
behaviours, women are much
more risk-averse and weren’t
brought up being told to take
a risk and do something
ěǰȄȱ ȱ ¢ǯȱ ȃȱ
needs to be the mental shift for
people who are in their early to
mid-twenties. The big thing for
me was realising I had to have
my backup plan. I had to know
what was going on, and if it
folded, I agreed with my mum that I could go crash at
hers for a bit if I needed to. I had worked at [a] pub, so
I knew I always had that as a backup if I needed to get
a job. Knowing those things made me feel comfortable
taking all the risks that were involved with it.
ȃȱȱȱȱǰȱ¢Ȃȱȱȱȱȱ
ȱȱ¢ǰȄȱȱǯȱȃȬȱȱȱȱȱ
you to run a company, give you money to do it
and make your company for you. You’ve got to want
to do it yourself. The only thing is taking those
steps to make it happen.”
Don’t miss our ELLE Talks podcast with Robyn – on iTunes now“I WAS USING
THIS BAD LESBIAN
DATING SITE...
I REALISED IT WAS
ABSURD NO-ONE
HAD TRULY
LOOKED AT WHAT
WOMEN WANT”EVEN BEFORE I STARTED WRITING
THE FIRST BOOK, I already knew the
whole story I wanted to tell. It was
always my intention for things to
ramp up to an even crazier, richer
level from book to book and to travel
ȱěȱȱȱǯȱȱ
ȱ ȃȄȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ
a 15-year gestation period... between
the time I graduated from university
ȱȱȱ ȱ ȱȱ ȱȱęȱǯ
BEFORE I STARTED WRITING MY NOVELS, I was a creative
consultant specialising in the design and luxury
industry. From a very early age, I’ve been lucky enough
to witness some amazing shopping sprees and be
ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ǯȱ ȱ
the book’s design details come naturally. For me,
an essential part of the storytelling is to
capture fully the environments my characters
inhabit. If Rachel, the heroine, enters the
drawing room of some spectacular
mansion, I want readers to
experience what she’sexperiencing. What does this space
look like? What is the art on the
walls? What are other people
wearing? What are they eating?
THE STORIES ARE A MIX OF MEMORIES
AND EXPERIENCES that are far closer
to real life than most people can
ǯȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
consider my books almost as if they
are non-ęǰȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ
so much of the outrageousness that occurs in that
world every day. Readers in other parts of the world
ȱȱȱ ȱ¢ǰȱȃȱȱȱǯȄȱI do
escalate a few details here and there, mainly for
comic ěǰȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱ
the stories and details to make them more believable.
ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ– yes, there really
are ȱ ȱ ęĴȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ
board. Yes, there really is a doctor in
ȱ who specialises in
facelifts for pet ęǯ ȱǰȱȱ
is always stranger ȱęǯ
Rich People Problems ($29.99, Doubleday) is out nowKevin Kwan talks Rich People
Problems, the third novel in
his Crazy Rich Asians series
and our Book of the MonthON THE
MONEY
ELLE BOOK CLUB is a place where each month we recommend (and discuss) one brilliant read we know
you’ll love. Get involved by liking our Facebook page, @elleaus, and visit ELLE.com.au to win one of 25 copies.Words: Genevra Leek; Laura Collins. Photography: Sevak Babakhani (still-life); Unsplash.com