

You Can't Launch the Next Generation of Startups Without Women - jolie
http://www.readwriteweb.com/start/2010/02/you-cant-launch-next-generation-startups-women-diversity.php

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patio11
I can't help feel there is a little tension between:

1) Women founders are disproportionately in their 40s, with families and
careers and mortgages. We can't be expected to drop everything and fly across
the country to attend a startup incubator program. Instead, we need to receive
large amounts of money on the strength of a napkin or Powerpoint deck.

2) Those darn twenty something male techies keep wanting to get paid salaries.
Don't they know they're supposed to work for free in promise for 2% of the
profits after we get rich?

Tell you what, ladies: I didn't crawl out of the womb knowing how to build web
applications. I studied it in school and then made stuff. How's about y'all
bang away on that for the next twenty years or so, and then I'll give you the
napkin to implement. You can have 2% of the profits after you make me rich.

Sounds like a great deal, right?

~~~
tptacek
This article is incoherent and you appear to be both dignifying it and
contradicting yourself. How un-McKenzian of you!

First, barely a cobweb strand of logic connects the point of this article to
gender. "If I had a nickle for every time I've heard that you can't get a
startup founded without an engineer". What does this have to do women? Either
of my younger brothers (both of whom work in the arts) could make the same
complaint.

Second, the idea that funding and attention is inappropriately piled on a
narrow slice of young males is a point I think I've seen you make about 100
times on Hacker News.

(If I wanted to further engage with this article --- and I don't, really ---
I'd also point out that the "accelerators" and "incubators" and whatnots that
this author feels women are excluded from aren't really blessings. A point I
feel like you'd at least sympathize with, since you built your company up on 5
hours a week of downtime off being a salaryman).

~~~
patio11
I don't think it is a contradiction to say "Tech people overbuild for tech
people" and "If you want tech people to work for you, paying them market wages
is kind of a good idea."

(I agree that there are a bunch of options aside from "seek funding" and "draw
yourself into the Valley culture" if you want to think outside the box for
your startup. No money, no time, can build stuff: I have useful suggestions
for you. No money, no time, can't build stuff? I have no useful suggestions
for you, aside from "well, learn to build stuff and then we'll talk.")

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camccann
There's a very good point buried in this article: Technology-oriented startups
tend to have some heavily skewed demographics, not just in gender, but in
socioeconomic background, political leanings, tastes in entertainment, etc,
and the kind of things startups do tend to reflect those demographics--which
isn't unreasonable, since it's easier to market to one's own general peer
group. So it does seem likely that there are startup opportunities that get
overlooked because they don't appeal as strongly to the stereotypical
programmer demographic.

That said, I'm not sure what manner of confusion would lead to using the term
"entrepreneur" for someone who has neither the resources to fund their "big
idea" nor the skills to implement it. If you have an idea and want to make it
happen, just _go do it_. If you don't know how, _learn_. It's not that hard!

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dschobel
_[...] Today non-technical entrepreneurs are just as likely to come up with
viable startup concepts as programmers are. Neither the startup system, nor
the traditional support system for small, brick-and-mortar businesses reflect
this societal change yet, so there is a void that needs to be filled or we'll
miss out on opportunities for innovation from unlikely sources._

Non-engineering women, I'd like to meet every non-engineering MBA trying to
break into startups. You guys should talk. I think you'll find you have a lot
in common.

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patrickgzill
I don't really like this article, in that I know of plenty of successful
startups started by women or that had a lot of women involved during the early
days.

In short, I reject the idea there is any kind of glass ceiling or whatnot,
especially when "the idea" plus 3 knowledgeable people working out of a
garage, is all you need.

~~~
bootload
_"... I don't really like this article, in that I know of plenty of successful
startups started by women ..."_

Examples? Part of the problem is perception of avoidance and the other
problem, Women tech founders are scarce.

~~~
starkfist
VMWare.

~~~
bootload
_"VMWare"_

Didn't know about that one. That would be
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Greene>

------
bootload
_"... There are two things happening here. First, the suits are taking over
and, second, the pioneers are going gray. Together they make up the startup
establishment. But things have changed since the early days, and this
establishment hasn't kept up with the times. The current startup system
essentially excludes the untapped pool of innovators who aren't developers -
for example, women who want to launch Internet startups. ..."_

I see a lot more interest in women wanting to create startup companies but not
a tech startup. I'm not entirely sure why? I have a suspicion that it has to
do with being seen to be geeky, being seen to stand out. Apart from the fact
there are fewer women techies, I've also read articles describing younger
women being sensitive to peer signaling. [0] I suspect younger women who
choose technical and founder paths have to overcome this. Older women founders
have the skills, confidence to not be distracted.

[0] I'll find the article. It was about young women watching for signaling for
mate selection as a evolutionary shortcut. I wager this is one factor
underestimated. Other females think Startup's are risky, the rest sans a few
take notice.

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nazgulnarsil
watch me.

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elptacek
psst: www.makeupalley.com <\-- has been around for at least 10 years. lots of
copycats, but i'm pretty sure it was the first of its kind. certainly the
first social networking site i joined; makeup alley predates orkut. founded by
a woman named hara glick. my point? women are consumers. they will buy stuff.
just ask tony hsieh. even make has a craft mag. so put your metrosexual shoes
on and find yourself some girl friends.

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jcnnghm
There is more than one right way to start a business. The establishment
doesn't need to change, nothing precludes women from figuring out their own
way.

