{"id":280,"date":"2010-05-04T14:37:04","date_gmt":"2010-05-04T14:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chriscurnow.com\/index.php\/2010\/05\/04\/silicon_valley_sidelines_best_talent\/"},"modified":"2010-05-04T14:37:04","modified_gmt":"2010-05-04T14:37:04","slug":"silicon_valley_sidelines_best_talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chriscurnow.com\/?p=280","title":{"rendered":"Silicon Valley sidelines best talent"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NYT article here raises two issues dear to our hearts at The Spiral Path: discrimination
\nagainst women in the workplace and cultures that frustrate innovation.<\/em><\/p>\n

In another string to the argument business is irrational and makes decisions that hinder
\nproductivity and profit, 
\nthis piece <\/a>in the New York Times points out the prevailing culture of sex discrimination
\nat Silicon Valley.<\/p>\n

Women, although better at the helm of startups than their male counterparts, are rarely given
\nthe chance. (Now of course The Spiral Path<\/em> recognises that research is often
\nmisreported so we mention quote the august NYT here with some slight hesitancy.<\/p>\n

According to the article:<\/p>\n

Women own 40 percent of the private businesses in the
\nUnited States … But they create only 8 percent of the venture-backed tech start-ups.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Candace Fleming, used as a case study for the article, <\/p>\n

“has a double major in industrial engineering and English from Stanford, an MBA from
\nHarvard<\/a>, a
\nmanagement position at Hewlett-Packard<\/a> and experience as  president of a small
\nsoftware company.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yet she was unable to obtain finance from any of the 30 venture capitalists she tried, instead
\nraising money from angel investors “including Golden Seeds<\/a>
\n, a fund that emphasizes investing in start-ups led by women”.<\/p>\n

More disturbing than this, though was the way she was treated by men on her journey.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n