  The growing emphasis on studying equity, diversity, and inclusion within
software engineering has amplified the need to explore hidden populations
within this field. Exploring hidden populations becomes important to obtain
invaluable insights into the experiences, challenges, and perspectives of
underrepresented groups in software engineering and, therefore, devise
strategies to make the software industry more diverse. However, studying these
hidden populations presents multifaceted challenges, including the complexities
associated with identifying and engaging participants due to their marginalized
status. In this paper, we discuss our experiences and lessons learned while
conducting multiple studies involving hidden populations in software
engineering. We emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing these
challenges within the software engineering research community to foster a more
inclusive and comprehensive understanding of diverse populations of software
professionals.
