5 ms·

I feel like I need to preface this question: I’m in no way disparaging this program or interested in started a sociopolitical debate here. Is there a similar p

I feel like I need to preface this question: I’m in no way disparaging this program or interested in started a sociopolitical debate here. Is there a similar program that a white male would qualify for? It looks interesting, but it’s apparently closed to me unless I lie by claiming to be something I’m not.

mortureb 3y ago
[flagged]
confoundcofound 3y ago
You’re asking a dangerous question. Most behind these initiatives act as if there are “white” people who are also not culturally underrepresented and do not inhabit lower socioeconomic levels. There are black folks who grew up in BelAir and white folks who grew up poor in Appalachia. I say that as a “brown” minority, whose immigrant family were the minority even in their own country, who is apparently supposed to self-identify as Caucasian and would not qualify for this program because I’m not Black or Hispanic or Indigenous. It’s racist.
- nxobject 3y ago
  Why do you consider this question dangerous?
  - peanutcrisis 3y ago
    OP risk being misconstrued as being racist. The fact that the original question was asked in the first place really shows how ass-backwards American society has gotten, with reverse racism being rebranded as a virtue, aka "anti-racism".
    - nxobject 3y ago
      To be honest, reading the OP at face value, I don't even think he we wanted to beg that question. (But I don't want to mind-read – I have a personal bias against mind-reading; I usually interpret things on the literal side is all.)
- paulryanrogers 3y ago
  Racist only in the most technical sense of the word. It's a matter of portions and percentages. Few people of color are rich, much less born rich, and far below their percentage of the population as a whole.
  - peanutcrisis 3y ago
    [flagged]
    - lijok 3y ago
      Noone’s being discriminated against in this program. This programme is specifically designed to assist people who have hit specific barriers due to their race or gender. I’m sure if you’re being laughed out of VC meetings for being a white man, you can apply and Apple will accept you. But I doubt the’ll have any resources or advice for you given how improbable that scenario is.
      - prepend 3y ago
        > Noone’s being discriminated against in this program Objectively, people are being discriminated against as the program only allows some races and genders. That’s textbook discrimination. I think what your meaning is that the discrimination is intended positively to increase representation as opposed to other discrimination that is intended negatively due to hatred or exploitation.
        lijok 3y ago
        Maybe my understanding of the definition of “discrimination” is incorrect then. I understood the definition to be “unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people”
        prepend 3y ago
        Prejudicial means “ harmful to someone or something; detrimental” and this is harmful to individuals discriminated against. I think many, but not all, would find it is unjust as well.
dangus 3y ago
[flagged]
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- confoundcofound 3y ago
  Did you forget YC was cofounded by Jessica Livingston?
  - dangus 3y ago
    I dunno, seems like Paul Graham gets all the idolization, am I right? The ratio isn’t all that great, CEO and partners are 85% male: https://www.ycombinator.com/people https://www.ycombinator.com/people
    - peanutcrisis 3y ago
      Mandatory read http://www.paulgraham.com/jessica.html http://www.paulgraham.com/jessica.html
      - deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
      - deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
    - confoundcofound 3y ago
      Are all of your social circles proportionally composed of genders and races representative of society? If so, why not? If you are so concerned about proportional ratios, why are you not concerned about the many other minorities that are far more underrepresented than Blacks/Hispanics/Indigenous and that are not eligible for this program?
      - vineyardmike 3y ago
9dev 3y ago
Do you believe that you need special counselling on starting a business due to your struggle with the unique challenges of being a white male? Because that is what this is for.
- peanutcrisis 3y ago
  [flagged]
  - 9dev 3y ago
    No, I didn’t. I don’t recognize those problems being inherent traits of being a white man, which, again, is what this program aims for - training for members of minority groups that face challenges when founding a business due to their ethnicity or gender.
    - confoundcofound 3y ago
      You think those traits are inherent to being a “person of color”?
      - 9dev 3y ago
        No, and I never said that. I mentioned challenges to exist for minorities.
- willio58 3y ago
  Assuming the grand parent comment is true to their word and they don’t mean it disparagingly, I think we can easily see what they mean. After a quick glance here’s what’s being offered in this program: - 1 year free of apple dev program (laughably little time in my view btw) - seemingly 1 on 1 support with experienced devs to help you build your first app(s) Yes, it’s good that being provided for underrepresented devs. But also, and I think this is what GP comment is asking, why isn’t this offered in a larger capacity? As someone who paid Apple 400$ just to keep my dev license so people around the world could download my free apps while I was super poor in college.. I kinda feel where this person is coming from.
CharlesW 3y ago
> Is there a similar program that a white male would qualify for? You can Google "startup communities" and find thousands. Often, a local startup community (like San Diego's istartupsd.org) will help you find your local programs and events. If your startup scene is nascent or non-existent, start with Meetup and/or start your own monthly event for like-minded people. FWIW, underrepresented attendees can bring a colleague. I see no requirement that the colleague must also be underrepresented.

mortureb 3y ago

[flagged]

confoundcofound 3y ago

You’re asking a dangerous question. Most behind these initiatives act as if there are “white” people who are also not culturally underrepresented and do not inhabit lower socioeconomic levels. There are black folks who grew up in BelAir and white folks who grew up poor in Appalachia. I say that as a “brown” minority, whose immigrant family were the minority even in their own country, who is apparently supposed to self-identify as Caucasian and would not qualify for this program because I’m not Black or Hispanic or Indigenous. It’s racist.

nxobject 3y ago
Why do you consider this question dangerous?
- peanutcrisis 3y ago
  OP risk being misconstrued as being racist. The fact that the original question was asked in the first place really shows how ass-backwards American society has gotten, with reverse racism being rebranded as a virtue, aka "anti-racism".
  - nxobject 3y ago
    To be honest, reading the OP at face value, I don't even think he we wanted to beg that question. (But I don't want to mind-read – I have a personal bias against mind-reading; I usually interpret things on the literal side is all.)
paulryanrogers 3y ago
Racist only in the most technical sense of the word. It's a matter of portions and percentages. Few people of color are rich, much less born rich, and far below their percentage of the population as a whole.
- peanutcrisis 3y ago
  [flagged]
  - lijok 3y ago
    Noone’s being discriminated against in this program. This programme is specifically designed to assist people who have hit specific barriers due to their race or gender. I’m sure if you’re being laughed out of VC meetings for being a white man, you can apply and Apple will accept you. But I doubt the’ll have any resources or advice for you given how improbable that scenario is.
    - prepend 3y ago
      > Noone’s being discriminated against in this program Objectively, people are being discriminated against as the program only allows some races and genders. That’s textbook discrimination. I think what your meaning is that the discrimination is intended positively to increase representation as opposed to other discrimination that is intended negatively due to hatred or exploitation.
      - lijok 3y ago
        Maybe my understanding of the definition of “discrimination” is incorrect then. I understood the definition to be “unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people”
        prepend 3y ago
        Prejudicial means “ harmful to someone or something; detrimental” and this is harmful to individuals discriminated against. I think many, but not all, would find it is unjust as well.

dangus 3y ago

[flagged]

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
confoundcofound 3y ago
Did you forget YC was cofounded by Jessica Livingston?
- dangus 3y ago
  I dunno, seems like Paul Graham gets all the idolization, am I right? The ratio isn’t all that great, CEO and partners are 85% male: https://www.ycombinator.com/people https://www.ycombinator.com/people
  - peanutcrisis 3y ago
    Mandatory read http://www.paulgraham.com/jessica.html http://www.paulgraham.com/jessica.html
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
  - confoundcofound 3y ago
    Are all of your social circles proportionally composed of genders and races representative of society? If so, why not? If you are so concerned about proportional ratios, why are you not concerned about the many other minorities that are far more underrepresented than Blacks/Hispanics/Indigenous and that are not eligible for this program?
    - vineyardmike 3y ago

9dev 3y ago

Do you believe that you need special counselling on starting a business due to your struggle with the unique challenges of being a white male? Because that is what this is for.

peanutcrisis 3y ago
[flagged]
- 9dev 3y ago
  No, I didn’t. I don’t recognize those problems being inherent traits of being a white man, which, again, is what this program aims for - training for members of minority groups that face challenges when founding a business due to their ethnicity or gender.
  - confoundcofound 3y ago
    You think those traits are inherent to being a “person of color”?
    - 9dev 3y ago
      No, and I never said that. I mentioned challenges to exist for minorities.
willio58 3y ago
Assuming the grand parent comment is true to their word and they don’t mean it disparagingly, I think we can easily see what they mean. After a quick glance here’s what’s being offered in this program: - 1 year free of apple dev program (laughably little time in my view btw) - seemingly 1 on 1 support with experienced devs to help you build your first app(s) Yes, it’s good that being provided for underrepresented devs. But also, and I think this is what GP comment is asking, why isn’t this offered in a larger capacity? As someone who paid Apple 400$ just to keep my dev license so people around the world could download my free apps while I was super poor in college.. I kinda feel where this person is coming from.

CharlesW 3y ago

> Is there a similar program that a white male would qualify for? You can Google "startup communities" and find thousands. Often, a local startup community (like San Diego's istartupsd.org) will help you find your local programs and events. If your startup scene is nascent or non-existent, start with Meetup and/or start your own monthly event for like-minded people. FWIW, underrepresented attendees can bring a colleague. I see no requirement that the colleague must also be underrepresented.