The birthplace of radical innovation

At the center of any movement, there is often a common vision that brings people together. In the "tech" industry, one of the most common discussions is about how to be a "maker" and people who can "build" are often regarded as the most valuable pieces to the movement. Most ideas require both hard work and capital to build. Let's look more in to the philosophies of those investors; this will show us where priorities lie. In many investments, let's take private equity for example, it's critically important to make a return. The LPs in private equity expect a certain level of return, and as a result all investment theses have a strong financial focus, relying on growth, EBITDA, and other financial metrics. Although in our capitalist structure most firms need to make a profit to continue operating, there is a slight twice on how venture capitalists, who often invest in tech companies, talk about their investment theses. For example, Peter Thield's investment arm, Founder's Fund, says in their Manifesto that they want to "invest in smart people solving difficult problems." Where's the focus on making a profit? Founder's Fund investment thesis is that the best way to create durable returns is to invest in techologies that solve these problems. A critical compotnent to that succes is the team that they invest in. An excerpt: To create radical changes and innovative strategies, we need to invest in teams that we willing to think "differently." If everyone on the team comes from the same background, it's unlikely that the team will create the time and space -- and conflict -- to develop something new. This is why diversity of thought is critical to investment. Although harder to measure, it's one of the "softer" benefits. Facts -- > Group think -- > Women-led firms -- > "Tech" itself is thinking differently. Let's get rid of the suits So how can we increase diversity in the workforce? -- > Recognize biases ----> People who promote diversity get sidlined -- > Invest in people who look different from leadership -- > Realize that healthy conflict is a good thing. Harmony does not lead to empowerment -- > Test new structures that empower our leaders (Holacracy) It's not easy to work with someone who comes from a world we aren't familiar with. But the best creations in our lifetime will not come from being comfortable. #getcomfortablewithuncomfortable #diversityofthoughtbringsradicalchange