#FiftyFiftyPledge Update & Tips
The #FiftyFiftyPledge is my new passion
Leaders all over the world are making the pledge to change some or all of the activities in their pipelines so their gender mix is #FiftyFifty — this is proven to drive much better outcomes.
Why go #FiftyFifty at all?
Well it depends on what you care about. Some people of course just don’t or won’t care.
I am an entrepreneur who now operates as a VC investing in early stage starts ups scaling into global markets. Despite huge amounts of innovation from wildly different and diverse people from around the world when you look at gender then start ups with a female founder only get 2% of the total (2% of Trillions) of VC dollars invested. Its pathetic.
However founding teams which include a female founders out perform male only founding teams on an aggregate basis. Find more here — www.diversity.vc/our-blog/
The thing is we VC’s only invest in 1% of what we see. So VC’s aren’t seeing enough start ups with female founders. It could not be clearer.
My personal data demonstrates that I am more likely to invest in start up with a female founder — twice more, on an aggregate basis.
Zero in Fund 1, 20% in Fund 2 and 25% in Fund 3. About 10% of my deal flow includes as female founder. So it could not be more clearer, I have a strong inclination to invest in female founders, but I don’t see enough.
Those investments have always executed better than the average and rank higher on my roster — its a fact. It could not be clearer I NEED to see more female founders.
Conclusion — I don’t see enough start ups with female founders and the average VC firm is worse. Go #FiftyFifty — how hard can it be?
So Suki Fuller ( https://bit.ly/2rSbdXf ) and I announced the FiftyFiftyPledge — created at Notion and via the LinkyBrains movement — I’ve had more than 250,000 views and more than 1000 messages over the last week and I has a FiftyFifty Dinner this week and more planned in the future — they’re incredible and massively oversubscribed
My pipeline is now racking up with start ups with female founders but more importantly my learning speed is accelerating and the new audience I am reaching is compounding. This audience is going to out perform my old audience. Its going to improve the quality of my pipeline. Its going to deliver superior results.
Statistically proven after 9 years of data and more than 1000 start ups seen.
Lastly — its not only VC’s who are waking up its start ups and corporates too — I’ll be announcing the First Fifty to go FiftyFifty soon
Where to start? Here are my Tips on How to Go FiftyFifty
1. Make the decision you will change the mix of any pipeline activity to FiftyFifty — could be a dinner, a round table, a panel, a breakfast briefing but it could be almost anything.
2. Make the announcement on key channels & tag some people who genuinely care about gender equality
3. Use the Hashtag and we will share it in our network, welcome you in and look to connect you wider and collaborate with you
4. Register with LinkyBrains.com and Notion.vc to keep track of news and tips
5. Ask people to connect who want to help you in this endeavor — trust me theres 1000’s. Maybe some prospects too!
6. Ask yourself is a project team running a pipeline activity FiftyFifty and are they talking to the FiftyFifty agenda and moving into a growth mind set with Gender Equality or a Fixed Mindset with same old same old.
7. Empower people to do the same, make yourself more accessible and collaborate with others internally and externally
8. If you’re feeling aligned with the LinkyBrains movement organise or come to one of their coffees — dozens are springing up all over the world. Full of really open, creative and diverse people from all types of backgrounds
9. Here are some companies who have made the FiftyFifty Pledge just in the last 3 days — LinkyBrains.com Notion.vc Localz.com
10. When your inner voice say’s ‘this is too hard’ — don’t fool yourself into a fixed mindset — how hard can it be to invite powerful women first and then add the men? Always remember that if you hold up supply you generate more demand — “We’re currently over subscribed and you are high up on the waiting list” tends to drive more demand.
11. When you hear “we cant change the entire event” then start with a side event or a follow up event. How hard can it be.
12. Share this post with anyone who care about Gender Equality, is in VC or should care
Its so simple that the harder it is the more you don’t care. Plane and simple
More tips as with learn fast and lean. All help and collaboration is welcome — please connect & PLEDGE
