Q: Is it responsible to make an investment decision based on founding team racial composition?
I think all us of who have been founders know one thing — diversity, broadly defined, is a huge asset.
Diversity in thinking.
Diversity in backgrounds.
Diversity in approaches.
Diversity also breeds strength in tough times. Lack of it makes it really hard to withstand that lost huge customer, that failed release, that running-out-of-capital.
Monolithic thinking and monolithic cultures have certain advantages in large companies that are run as benign dictatorships. But usually — this doesn’t scale.
I’m not sure “all white males” is the only way to think about this issue. But it’s one way.
The more diverse the teams in thinking, backgrounds, and approaches that I’ve worked with in my career — the more successful I’ve been. And in particular, I’ve found having folks from different countries and very different upbringings is particularly powerful.
That much I know.
