What is wrong with SV networks? YC demographics(medium.com)
medium.com
What is wrong with SV networks? YC demographics
https://medium.com/@JDcarlu/what-is-wrong-with-sv-networks-a2f203431ea6
2 comments
The critic is not to YC (which are actually the only ones that recognize the problem) but on the system. We (include myself) have to play by this rules but we shouldn't have to.
We could effectively try to incorporate more Latinos and blacks into the selection by encouraging or helping them to apply. If we keep going on the same path it will certainly not change.
Even though I agree with the author in terms of moral hypocrisy, what is the better alternative for the existing system?
Of course, we can suggest many alternatives. But the implementation requires the buy in from the people who have loads of money. Then, this boils down to the personal preference of capitalist or the moneyed interests.
Isn't it (one's personal preference, that is) the same as people of the same kind club together. Like alumni clubs of elite schools; paypal alumni; friends of the big money and power. How can one destroy such networks? Even some hypothetical system destroys such networks, such a hypothetical system ends up setting up another network: think of the polit bureau of the Chinese community party. These politburo members own various industries in China.
Of course, we can suggest many alternatives. But the implementation requires the buy in from the people who have loads of money. Then, this boils down to the personal preference of capitalist or the moneyed interests.
Isn't it (one's personal preference, that is) the same as people of the same kind club together. Like alumni clubs of elite schools; paypal alumni; friends of the big money and power. How can one destroy such networks? Even some hypothetical system destroys such networks, such a hypothetical system ends up setting up another network: think of the polit bureau of the Chinese community party. These politburo members own various industries in China.
I think the key is not to destroy but to open. I like what #500 (Dave McClure) is doing by investing all around the world bringing SV mentoring and investments to other cultures. The new startups once in #500 have 2000 founders they can network with (many, if not most of them, from Silicon Valley). This same solution can be applied on our own Bay Area by just taking the same approach but with Latinos and African Americans.
> Michael Seibel: 11.8% of the founders who applied were women and around 3% percent of the founders were either Black or Hispanic. Of the founders we funded in our most recent batch, 11.1% of the founders are women [...] 3.7% of the founders are Hispanic, and 4% of the founders are Black.
> JDCarlu: Knowing that only 3% of YC batch is latino makes it feel like something is wrong. The issue is to understand why is this happening? How many latinos teams apply to YC? How many makes it through?
> Michael Seibel: The good news is that there is no disadvantage to applying to YC as a female or minority founder. The bad news, of course, is that applicant percentages are low relative to the entire population.
> JDCarlu: Is there a problem with YC filter or are latinos not interested in tech?
So, the questions become: Why is the applicant percentage of latinos so low relative to the population? And then, if that is something you would like to see change, what is the most practical means to effectively change it?