3 ms·

One of the things I love so much about being in the high tech world is its natural tendency for a (more) level playing field. It shouldn't (and often doesn't)

by edw519 12y ago

One of the things I love so much about being in the high tech world is its natural tendency for a (more) level playing field. It shouldn't (and often doesn't) matter what you look like, where you came from, or who you are. What really matters is the value produced for others by what you do. This sounds like a great step in promoting that property to those who may not have experienced it before. I have a feeling it may work out real well for lots of people.

Stefanrio 12y ago
> It shouldn't (and often doesn't) matter what you look like So why exactly do they need to recruit more black people? Instead of like, everyone?
- lsiclait 12y ago
  Part of it may be social networks. Recruiting "everyone" usually ends up being recruit "everyone you know". And social circles are often not terribly diverse: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/08/25/three-quarters-of-whites-dont-have-any-non-white-friends http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/08/25/t...
- dethstar 12y ago
  Because "like, everyone" (aka people in the demographic they have supported as of now) often have had more chances/advantages in their lives. Listening to some ideas from people with different backgrounds couldn't hurt.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - Cakez0r 12y ago
    Black is not a background, though.
- chc 12y ago
  Because the world is not an infinite plane of uniform density. Being a successful entrepreneur is achievable regardless of race, but the same opportunities are not presented with equal availability to everyone.
- thedaveoflife 12y ago
  Your question is answered in the article: YC is interested in making money and they seem to believe that having more diverse founders will help them do that.
  - owenmarshall 12y ago
    From a "cold hard cash" standpoint, it's a really good idea. For example: Africa is currently going through a mobile phone revolution. Want to see staggering growth numbers? Look at mobile banking in Nigeria and Kenya. Look at what Sproxil is doing to combat counterfeit prescriptions. Hell, in lots of places mobile phone air time is becoming as important as local currencies. Think a lily-white Stanford graduate would see a market in top up cards? I bet you they wouldn't!
    - Jun8 12y ago
      "Think a lily-white Stanford graduate would see a market in top up cards? I bet you they wouldn't!" Maybe you don't realize but your comment is quite racist. So, you think by virtue of being black, every African-American somehow has an inherent understanding of African nations. Here's a excerpt from Jumpa Lahiri's book The Namesake about similar sentiments for a second generation Indian-American man talking to friends of his white girlfriend about getting sick while visiting India: "But you must be lucky that way" "What do you mean?" "I mean, you must never get sick." "Actually that's not true," he says, slightly annoyed... "We get sick all the time. We have to get shots before we go. My parents devote the better part of a suitcase to medicine." "But you're Indian," Pamela says frowning, "I'd think the climate wouldn't affect yo, given your heritage." "Pamela, Nick's American," Lydia says ... "He was born here."
      - owenmarshall 12y ago
        > So, you think by virtue of being black, every African-American somehow has an inherent understanding of African nations. I never mentioned African Americans in my comment. It seems that you're taking "black" to mean "African American", but that's not what my comment said. Nor the article, for that matter.
lulzwat1111 12y ago
>>It shouldn't (and often doesn't) matter what you look like, where you came from, or who you are. Then why are they giving black people preferential treatment? Mind blowing.
- ErikRogneby 12y ago
  Because white people get preferential treatment every god damn day. Either you acknowledge race and gender or you go through great pains to take it out of the equation. A good friend of mine is a female french horn player. Orchestras sometimes do auditions behind a screen with the applicants names anonymous to the jury. This is to counteract the sexism that exists in classical music, particularly in the brass sections. My understanding is that YCombinator is very hands on and demo days are done in person? The person is judged, not just the product.
  - wutbrodo 12y ago
    While I'm more in agreement with your line of thinking than lulzwat's, you're not really addressing the part he's disagreeing with. His proposition was that you counteract preferential treatment by trying to remove it, not by trying to balance it out with other preferential treatment. Even the example you gave supports that (_everyone_ is behind a screen). Like I said, I do agree with your general sentiment because the situation is way more complicated and a given entity (YC in this case) doesn't have control of all upstream sources of preferential treatment to try and remove preferential treatment. It just seems like the way you phrased it didn't address the actual problem lulzwat perceived. As much as people like to pretend it isn't so they can sit on their high horse, this stuff can be complicated to get your head around (at first glance, it's 110% reasonable to say giving preferential treatment to black people seems just as racist as doing so for white people). It serves no-one to ignore someone's complaint and respond with genericism when they don't understand (or agree with) the nuances of this kinda stuff.
- canadaj 12y ago
  Where are you getting the idea that preferential treatment is being given? Y Combinator is opening it's umbrella to include more diverse walks of life, not giving any group preferential treatment.

by edw519 12y ago

Stefanrio 12y ago

> It shouldn't (and often doesn't) matter what you look like So why exactly do they need to recruit more black people? Instead of like, everyone?

lsiclait 12y ago
Part of it may be social networks. Recruiting "everyone" usually ends up being recruit "everyone you know". And social circles are often not terribly diverse: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/08/25/three-quarters-of-whites-dont-have-any-non-white-friends http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/08/25/t...
dethstar 12y ago
Because "like, everyone" (aka people in the demographic they have supported as of now) often have had more chances/advantages in their lives. Listening to some ideas from people with different backgrounds couldn't hurt.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- Cakez0r 12y ago
  Black is not a background, though.
chc 12y ago
Because the world is not an infinite plane of uniform density. Being a successful entrepreneur is achievable regardless of race, but the same opportunities are not presented with equal availability to everyone.
thedaveoflife 12y ago
Your question is answered in the article: YC is interested in making money and they seem to believe that having more diverse founders will help them do that.
- owenmarshall 12y ago
  From a "cold hard cash" standpoint, it's a really good idea. For example: Africa is currently going through a mobile phone revolution. Want to see staggering growth numbers? Look at mobile banking in Nigeria and Kenya. Look at what Sproxil is doing to combat counterfeit prescriptions. Hell, in lots of places mobile phone air time is becoming as important as local currencies. Think a lily-white Stanford graduate would see a market in top up cards? I bet you they wouldn't!
  - Jun8 12y ago
    "Think a lily-white Stanford graduate would see a market in top up cards? I bet you they wouldn't!" Maybe you don't realize but your comment is quite racist. So, you think by virtue of being black, every African-American somehow has an inherent understanding of African nations. Here's a excerpt from Jumpa Lahiri's book The Namesake about similar sentiments for a second generation Indian-American man talking to friends of his white girlfriend about getting sick while visiting India: "But you must be lucky that way" "What do you mean?" "I mean, you must never get sick." "Actually that's not true," he says, slightly annoyed... "We get sick all the time. We have to get shots before we go. My parents devote the better part of a suitcase to medicine." "But you're Indian," Pamela says frowning, "I'd think the climate wouldn't affect yo, given your heritage." "Pamela, Nick's American," Lydia says ... "He was born here."
    - owenmarshall 12y ago
      > So, you think by virtue of being black, every African-American somehow has an inherent understanding of African nations. I never mentioned African Americans in my comment. It seems that you're taking "black" to mean "African American", but that's not what my comment said. Nor the article, for that matter.

lulzwat1111 12y ago

>>It shouldn't (and often doesn't) matter what you look like, where you came from, or who you are. Then why are they giving black people preferential treatment? Mind blowing.

ErikRogneby 12y ago
Because white people get preferential treatment every god damn day. Either you acknowledge race and gender or you go through great pains to take it out of the equation. A good friend of mine is a female french horn player. Orchestras sometimes do auditions behind a screen with the applicants names anonymous to the jury. This is to counteract the sexism that exists in classical music, particularly in the brass sections. My understanding is that YCombinator is very hands on and demo days are done in person? The person is judged, not just the product.
- wutbrodo 12y ago
  While I'm more in agreement with your line of thinking than lulzwat's, you're not really addressing the part he's disagreeing with. His proposition was that you counteract preferential treatment by trying to remove it, not by trying to balance it out with other preferential treatment. Even the example you gave supports that (_everyone_ is behind a screen). Like I said, I do agree with your general sentiment because the situation is way more complicated and a given entity (YC in this case) doesn't have control of all upstream sources of preferential treatment to try and remove preferential treatment. It just seems like the way you phrased it didn't address the actual problem lulzwat perceived. As much as people like to pretend it isn't so they can sit on their high horse, this stuff can be complicated to get your head around (at first glance, it's 110% reasonable to say giving preferential treatment to black people seems just as racist as doing so for white people). It serves no-one to ignore someone's complaint and respond with genericism when they don't understand (or agree with) the nuances of this kinda stuff.
canadaj 12y ago
Where are you getting the idea that preferential treatment is being given? Y Combinator is opening it's umbrella to include more diverse walks of life, not giving any group preferential treatment.