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Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

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Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

#81

Post by radoslawc »

antonioevans wrote: post #67

bullshit. we got a YC interview for summer 2014. We had almost 200k in revenue and outpaced it (2 months later) almost 400k. I am black spanish guy and cofounder female latin. Only people in our interview who look like us (or in the whole place). Not being angry at all just saying this is a publicity in my opinion. Our model didn't fit into what they were investing on at the time. We didn't need money but wanted to b…

Why are you being racist? What's the difference whether someone looked like you or not?

Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

#82

Post by Quizz »

YC is tech specific; it's self selecting, so any tech entrepreneur regardless of color will apply to YC. Are there other tech accelerators with higher black applicants? Maybe the pipe starts in elementary school and not age 22. YC's efforts would be more effective inspiring inner city black children in nearby communities to take an interest in tech.

Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

#84

Post by fwn »

Such a statement will probably result in good press.

It may be racist to regard skin color in recruiting decisions but I think this will not end up being used against YC since most people don't care as long as whites are not favoured. I guess it's regular csr marketing.

Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

#85

Post by antonioevans »

radoslawc wrote: post #81
antonioevans wrote: post #67

bullshit. we got a YC interview for summer 2014. We had almost 200k in revenue and outpaced it (2 months later) almost 400k. I am black spanish guy and cofounder female latin. Only people in our interview who look like us (or in the whole place). Not being angry at all just saying this is a publicity in my opinion. Our model didn't fit into what they were investing on at the time. We didn't need money but wanted to b…

Why are you being racist? What's the difference whether someone looked like you or not?

not talking about interviewers but people who applied. 3 people of color. 5 Asian people. and maybe 80 Caucasians the whole day I was there. Also maybe 3-10 women. It was an observation and far from a racist comment.

Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

#86

Post by antonioevans »

livelybc wrote: post #75
antonioevans wrote: post #67

bullshit. we got a YC interview for summer 2014. We had almost 200k in revenue and outpaced it (2 months later) almost 400k. I am black spanish guy and cofounder female latin. Only people in our interview who look like us (or in the whole place). Not being angry at all just saying this is a publicity in my opinion. Our model didn't fit into what they were investing on at the time. We didn't need money but wanted to b…

It used to be that looking like Mark Zuckerberg would increase your chances of getting in. I think that speaks a lot to the kinds of bias that may exist.

I didn't feel bias at all. The bias is towards companies that fit a model they like and if they can find entrepreneurs who can execute on that model. Has nothing to do with race. But one thing yes the "startup" system isn't really built to accelerate certain communities. the biggest thing is access. It's same in lots of industries and YC/startups aren't the only ones that deal with it.

Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

#87

Post by meowface »

cfield wrote: post #72
meowface wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that we all have implicit bias, and I also agree that it's good YC is broadcasting itself to groups of all kinds, but I doubt bias plays any significant role in the demographics of past and current YC batches, at least when looked at directly (choosing which applicants to accept, as opposed to indirect societal biases possibly causing people not to apply or to choose a different path).

Accepting that we all have implicit bias but saying that it doesn't play a significant role in who YC accepts seems to suggest that the YC application review process is able to overcome implicit bias. This may be true to some degree because of the number of steps and people involved in reviewing applications. However, I'm skeptical that it's so effective that it makes bias play an insignificant role.

I think it's unfair to assume that bias plays a role simply based on the truism of "we all have implicit bias". YC is run by a good group of intelligent people who are very aware of such biases.

Re: Y Combinator to recruit more black entrepreneurs

#88

Post by whudz »

Just figured I should take this opportunity to say, I'm black (and female!) and an entrepreneur. Right now my cofounder (also black) and I are building 20 software products in 20 weeks. You can read about it at http://www.munocreative.com/blog. #shamelessplug

We previously wouldn't have applied to Y combinator because of remarks like these:

"I can be tricked by anyone who looks like Mark Zuckerberg. There was a guy once who we funded who was terrible. I said: ‘How could he be bad? He looks like Zuckerberg!’”

--Paul Graham, New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/magazine/y-combinator-sili...)

Seeing as not even a Stanford degree and overpriced American Apparel hoodie can make us look like Mark Zuckerberg.

...but hey---this move by Sam actually seems like a good sign!

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