Nakache: Pattern recognition in VC partner hiring perpetuates gender imbalance
Patricia Nakache · 20 VC 080: How VCs Can Differentiate Themselves with Patricia Nakache, General Partner @ Trinity Ventures · Oct 19, 2015 · at 8:25
Patricia Nakache, General Partner at Trinity Ventures, explains how reliance on pattern recognition during partner recruitment limits gender diversity in venture capital.
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“The second P is, is what I call pattern recognition, and that's just the notice, a notion, and it applies to investment decisions too, but it's the notion that decisions are made based on recognizing attributes that have worked for you in the past or been successful for you in the past, and so in the context of deciding who to bring on as your next partner in a venture firm pattern recognition would consist of, well, you know, when we hired Joe, you know, Joe had this degree in computer science, he had founded the successful startup and we need more people like Joe, and if I can't find, and so I'm looking for people like Joe, and if you or women have Joe's profile you know, you're just less likely to hire a woman, and so I think that's why there's a dearth right now, and why it's declined.”
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