SAN FRANCISCO — Audible gasps could be heard in a San Francisco court room Friday afternoon as a jury's verdict shot down one claim after another in Ellen Pao's gender discrimination lawsuit against her former employer, venture capital powerhouse Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

And while that initial verdict turned out to be a misfire, the final one handed down Friday evening didn't change the conclusion: gender was not the reason that Pao was passed over for promotions and ultimately fired from the firm, the jury decided after two and a half days of deliberation. Kleiner Perkins was cleared of any wrongdoing.

To many following the trial, the decision came as a blow. For weeks the closely-watched courtroom drama had pored over Pao's stories of the firm's all-male outings and frat house behavior in lurid detail, and the trial had become synonymous with larger themes of sexism in the tech industry, where men far outnumber women.

The stakes were high: Pao could have won $16 million in lost wages and tens of millions more in punitive damages had the outcome been different. But beyond the money changing hands, experts said the decision could have set a precedent for the way gender discrimination is handled in Silicon Valley.

Jurors said they blocked out what the wider implications of their decision may be and focused solely on the evidence when making their decisions.

"We never talked about who was waiting for it, or what it would do for Silicon Valley, or venture capital," juror Steve Sammut said. "We zeroed in."

But that didn't mean they weren't aware of the weight their decision would carry. One juror said it was the most difficult decision of his life.

"I think all of us were affected by it," juror Marshalette Ramsey, who sided with Pao, said. "I felt a really emotional connection to it."

For her part, Pao, Reddit's interim CEO, said she was disheartened by the trial's outcome, but seemed pleased to peel back the curtain on gender bias in Silicon Valley.

"While today’s outcome is a disappointment, I take consolation in knowing that people really listened," she tweeted.

4. Because of social media and live reports, the problem of gender discrimination in venture capital has received attention around the globe — Ellen Pao (@ekp) March 28, 2015

9. To support the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, we need to show leadership today. — Ellen Pao (@ekp) March 28, 2015

Immediately after the ruling, others also shared their opinions on Twitter. Many were worried about the implications the verdict would have for women in tech.

Well, I'm incredibly nervous for my fellow women in tech. — julia ferraioli (@juliaferraioli) March 27, 2015

Men in tech hovering over the keyboard, wondering if you should tweet that thing about the Pao verdict: the answer is probably no. — Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) March 27, 2015

Verdict aside, we have a deep gender discrimination problem in tech. Thx to @ekp for reminding us. Let's not let the conversation end here. — Chris Sacca (@sacca) March 27, 2015

so who wants to be a woman in tech — laura olin (@lauraolin) March 27, 2015

But many also thanked Pao for shining a light on these issues and opening the door for other women to do the same. The hashtag #ThankYouEllenPao began to gain traction Friday afternoon.

No jury can change the fact that we BELIEVE Ellen Pao, and that sexism, racism, and discrimination are systemic across venture capital. — Shanley (@shanley) March 27, 2015

Verdict aside, we have a deep gender discrimination problem in tech. Thx to @ekp for reminding us. Let's not let the conversation end here. — Chris Sacca (@sacca) March 27, 2015

#ThankYouEllenPao for standing up via trial, refusing to settle, and being a catalyst for discussions of sexism in tech and VC. — Elea Chang (@elea) March 27, 2015

I'm feeling it #thankyouellenpao 2015 is a breakout year for a lot of women. This is only Q1. cc: @LeslieBradshaw @rachelsklar @shaherose — Ellie Cachette (@ecachette) March 27, 2015

#ThankYouEllenPao for being an awesome investor and advisor. We would not be here without you. — Harry Glaser (@harryglaser) March 28, 2015