[gagmaker]

> harder time starting a startup

and you certain its all due to their skin color etc? Sorry, I'm having a hard time to believe it.

> we also want to do targeted outreach to underrepresented

Having that much resources to invest (limited, are they?), you likely will end up funding a business based on founder's skin color. Sorry, but that how it looks like from outside.

[pixelcloud]

It's basically designed to the ycombinator staff can not be subconsciously racist towards founders.

If a group applied with a great idea in the "normal" pool of applicants I suspect they would fair perfectly find against the 6500+ applications.

Obviously, YCombinator is worried about their image and cannot figure out how to "close the gap" without this.

[13thLetter]

"It's basically designed to the ycombinator staff can not be subconsciously racist towards founders."

Which brings up another interesting point. Are all the ycombinator staff comfortable with being accused of being racists? What would happen to any ycombinator staff who publicly objected to this accusation?

[aianus]

> It's basically designed to the ycombinator staff can not be subconsciously racist towards founders.

The solution to being subconsciously racist is to be overtly racist instead? Come on.

[pavornyoh]

@Pixelcloud, very well put!!