to be very clear, we do just try to recruit the best people regardless of race, gender, etc. you have to cast a wide net to do that.
[deleted]
Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
21–30 of 88 posts
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#22This is awesome. A diversity of people will bring a diversity of ideas. You can find highly intelligent, driven people from all walks of life, it's a shame that there's a process broken in self-selection for software engineering and bay area startups. Although it's probably not just diverse self-selection that needs work, I imagine there's probably forms of discrimination and roadblocks that privileged classes of the…
So, as someone who is a privileged class of the majority (white, male, 25-49), what are the roadblocks? If there's discrimination, isn't that purely the fault of the Y Combinator organisers (in this instance), and is this article then an admission that they've discriminated in the past?
Black male here, aged 18-25, Computer Science and Design student in my final semester of University. The roadblocks from a racial perspective is lack of resources and education, there is a fair amount of poverty within black America. Did you have access to a computer growing up? Maybe you had one or two in your house? Then you may have been able to learn more about programming from a younger age, or maybe you had a computer lab in your school...On the other hand, maybe you are also assumed to be inadequate by society because of your skintone, you are automatically stereotyped to be unintelligent or a subpar developer. Those are the roadblocks we have to face, whether it stems from society or socioeconomic status, we have to work twice as hard to prove ourselves in America.
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#23This is awesome. A diversity of people will bring a diversity of ideas. You can find highly intelligent, driven people from all walks of life, it's a shame that there's a process broken in self-selection for software engineering and bay area startups. Although it's probably not just diverse self-selection that needs work, I imagine there's probably forms of discrimination and roadblocks that privileged classes of the…
So, as someone who is a privileged class of the majority (white, male, 25-49), what are the roadblocks? If there's discrimination, isn't that purely the fault of the Y Combinator organisers (in this instance), and is this article then an admission that they've discriminated in the past?
I don't have good answers for you, but discrimination isn't always done intentionally. Maybe more often than not it's ignorance or simply institutional. I am also a white male. It took a long time for me to figure out my own biases and honestly I am still learning about them. I recommend this movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0484384/ (The Color of Fear)
There are pieces of it on YouTube apparently:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nmhAJYxFT4
I once decided to investigate racism more. In addition to reading academic materials I also tried reading magazines intended for black women and found a section on how not to scare your white boss with your hair. There was all kinds of stuff like that, and it was both shocking and depressing. I just had no idea.
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#24This is awesome. A diversity of people will bring a diversity of ideas. You can find highly intelligent, driven people from all walks of life, it's a shame that there's a process broken in self-selection for software engineering and bay area startups. Although it's probably not just diverse self-selection that needs work, I imagine there's probably forms of discrimination and roadblocks that privileged classes of the…
So, as someone who is a privileged class of the majority (white, male, 25-49), what are the roadblocks? If there's discrimination, isn't that purely the fault of the Y Combinator organisers (in this instance), and is this article then an admission that they've discriminated in the past?
> If there's discrimination,
There is.
> isn't that purely the fault of the Y Combinator organisers (in this instance)
Some of the fault likely is, likely through unacknowledged bias. But discrimination comes in far more systemic forms: if you're a black child you're far more likely to attend a school with concentrated poverty than a white student. You're twice as likely to have teachers that are brand new, or have very little experience. You're less likely to be offered advanced classes. And boom, by the time you're applying for college, you're already behind the curve.
> and is this article then an admission that they've discriminated in the past?
They likely haven't actively discriminated against black applicants. But by not doing anything to further outreach, yeah, they kinda have.
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#25to be very clear, we do just try to recruit the best people regardless of race, gender, etc. you have to cast a wide net to do that.
[deleted]
Is it? It quotes Altman as saying, "Going way out of our way to invite people to apply who don't fit the stereotypical start-up mold has worked really well for us."
Sounds exactly like they're just attempting to cast a wider net. Any other implications you took from that weren't from the article.
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#26to be very clear, we do just try to recruit the best people regardless of race, gender, etc. you have to cast a wide net to do that.
The article doesn't say what you're doing to recruit more minorities. Are you making a PR effort, or developing different business contacts, or starting a new program, or...?
Just curious. (And glad you're making the effort.)
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#27As a young black entrepreneur that has known about YC for years now and have followed them and their large portfolio, I think they are making a smart move toward reaching out to a community where people aren't aware of programs like YC and the opportunities they provide.
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#28Surely Y Combinator should just recruit people that do the job the best, whether they are white,black..etc
Yes, they should and they are now. I think that Y Combinator understands that by not taking these steps, they are possible excluding people who may be the best candidate for the job. Y Combinator is simply extending it's reach with the intention of including more diverse groups of people, not giving preferential treatment to those groups. They are simply opening up a bigger umbrella.
The title is misleading then. It should read "Y Combinator will expand outreach to minorities", not "Y Combinator to recruit more black engineers".
If you go with the original title it suggests one of two things:
1. Y Combinator has avoided hiring black engineers up to this point and will now stop (which I know is untrue)
2. Y Combinator will specifically hiring black engineers over other races (which sounds like a bad idea)
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#29Something about this headline feels wrong.
I agree, but them down voters don't agree.
Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
> 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?
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.
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!