[acgourley]

If you're a SV demographic outsider (say: black, gay, female) it's still going to be an order of magnitude harder to raise institutional money. You're not going to socialize in the same circles and thus your referral network will be tiny. If you get a meeting, you're going to need to spend the first 15 minute somehow counteracting the generalizations piling against you.

That said, starting with the same skills and money it shouldn't be any harder to bootstrap a tech business. If you're profitable and growing, raising money should also be pretty fair. Traction is the real meritocracy.

[ahomescu1]

> You're not going to socialize in the same circles and thus your referral network will be tiny.

I don't think white nerdy males from top schools (like MIT) socialize much in rich VC circles either.

[acgourley]

They socialize with entrepreneurs and senior mgmt who have been funded by VCs - which is a common and effect intro path to said investors.