I'd argue what you're saying and what he's saying are different arguments.
Your arguments almost all apply to poor people in general (and I believe them to be absolutely true). In fact I'd argue it's more true than people know. When hearing the legend of Microsoft rarely do people include the fact that his Mom was on the United Way Board with the CEO of IBM and it was she who pointed IBM in Microsoft's direction.
But that's different from the argument he's making. You're making the point that it's hard to get to the startup level he's arguing that once you get there you're at a disadvantage because the Valley has a subconscious racism in it. That I honestly don't believe.
He says...
"To be clear, I am not saying any VC says at a partner meeting, “you know I really like this company’s product but did you notice he’s a negro?” Never Happens"
The problem with that logic is I've been in meetings where the exact opposite is true. Where people have said "I'm not completely sold on the company but I'd really like to see more minorities in our investment portfolio". So in my experience I've seen the color of someone's skin actually help people a lot.
So while there's certainly some subconscious discrimination there's also some very conscious actions being taken to seek out minorities and I don't think anyone can say how frequently either of these phenomenons are happening.
> You're making the point that it's hard to get to the startup level he's arguing that once you get there you're at a disadvantage because the Valley has a subconscious racism in it.
These points may be more related than you think. "Getting to the startup level" is not so simple a concept as "either you get there or you don't." People arrive at this destination with widely varying amounts of skill, preparation, connections, and credentials. Not all entrepreneurs are equally attractive.
So wh-uws' point makes a lot of sense. If it seems that disadvantaged-group-X is having more trouble securing funding than other groups, it doesn't necessarily mean investors are to blame. It could very easily be the case that X is running into issues earlier in life that, generally, make it much harder for its members to become great entrepreneurs. When trying to answer the question, "Why do so few females run funded tech companies?", it might make sense to take a few steps back and ask, "Why do so few females study computer science", or hell, "Why do girls play with dolls while boys play with legos?"
Your arguments almost all apply to poor people in general (and I believe them to be absolutely true). In fact I'd argue it's more true than people know. When hearing the legend of Microsoft rarely do people include the fact that his Mom was on the United Way Board with the CEO of IBM and it was she who pointed IBM in Microsoft's direction.
But that's different from the argument he's making. You're making the point that it's hard to get to the startup level he's arguing that once you get there you're at a disadvantage because the Valley has a subconscious racism in it. That I honestly don't believe.
He says...
"To be clear, I am not saying any VC says at a partner meeting, “you know I really like this company’s product but did you notice he’s a negro?” Never Happens"
The problem with that logic is I've been in meetings where the exact opposite is true. Where people have said "I'm not completely sold on the company but I'd really like to see more minorities in our investment portfolio". So in my experience I've seen the color of someone's skin actually help people a lot.
So while there's certainly some subconscious discrimination there's also some very conscious actions being taken to seek out minorities and I don't think anyone can say how frequently either of these phenomenons are happening.