[heterogenic]

How about just "because disregarding/discouraging half of our potential talent means half the geniuses, half the coding buddies and work friends, half the workhorses and half the inspirations. It is a virtual certainty that in those millions of missing engineers is a software revolution we never rode. We are all missing shoulders to stand on, and see less far as a result.".

Even if you disregard the engineering shortage, doubling the pool and taking the to half dramatically shifts the curve of ability and passion of our workmates. We're all missing out.

[Dewie]

It's way more than 50%, though. What about the whole culture surrounding things like programming? Is it your average Joe (man) that is a programmer? No, it seems to be predominantly nerds. So what about people who, due to circumstances and upbringing, were never introduced to programming? Maybe they would have liked it better, or found it more approachable, if they didn't have to be and act like nerds to fit in? Maybe they had other hobbies that the typical nerd who might be a programmer doesn't, so these two people never really get to meet and have a oh, I might be interested in that applied logic thing moment.

This goes of course for any profession that has a specific culture attached to it.

Is the industry missing out on 50% of the talent pool? In this day and age, where basically everyone has the opportunity to at least try something like programming, but wherein it is incredibly easy to isolate yourself from lots of types of people and viewpoints and live in your own bubble, and based on how free we really are as individuals, even though we legally have most freedoms... that figure could be anywhere from 30% to 95%, depending on your viewpoint.