TandemLaunch Blog

First published in 2010

Almost a decade ago, I wrote a blog post about diversity and the techniques used at TandemLaunch to leverage diverse teams for greater success. TandemLaunch has changed a lot since those early days. We have created over 30 companies who now employ over 1,000 professional, raised three funds and learned countless lessons throughout that journey. But our commitment to diverse and recognition of the value brought by diverse teams remain just as strong.

The world has also changed during this decade. The #metoo movement and current racial equality moments have transformed many aspects of our society. Equality, diversity and inclusion have moved forward in our collective consciousness and much progress has been made on many fronts. Yet, even more progress will be needed in the future if we really want to make the entrepreneurial world accessible with equal opportunity. In that spirit, I have dusted off the old blog post, updated the temporal references and made it available again for your reading pleasure.

TandemLaunch stands in solidarity

Racism is a vile expression of the most primitive human flaws and deserves condemnation wherever it is encountered. No human should suffer the oppressive violence we have witnessed. But condemnation and support alone may not be enough. Our world shares a tragic history of oppression of minority groups that isn’t fading despite decades of activism. We need more.

A game-changing idea is only one of the ingredients you will need to launch a successful new business. Without the right team and a commitment to ongoing fundraising, your brilliant new venture will founder. This article is the first of five in a series by a venture capital expert who has both launched and funded new companies.