Silicon Valley's diversity problem is a corollary to its monoculture problem. Every startup mentor, speaker, blogger, etc. has the same advice to budding entrepreneurs: "hire your friends."<p>We're told to hire people who we know, or people that are known and trusted by those we've already hired. One of the first things that will happen if you're hired at Facebook or Google is that HR will sit down with you and ask you to make a list of every smart person you've ever worked with, so they can try to recruit them.<p>No one sets out to create a monoculture (we hope), or to build a workforce without diversity. Silicon Valley is filled with intelligent, well-meaning, ambitious people who I believe are truly interested in a meritocracy.<p>But look around. Who's founding the companies that get funded? There's a reason you get dozens of Snapchat wannabes, "sharing economy" startups, and social apps. VCs are emotional creatures just like anyone else, and they follow the herd, where it's safe. That also means they're funding founders who live nearby, and come with a warm intro and a recommendation.<p>Companies in the Valley are founded by a relatively homogenous slice of the American demographic, whether you're looking at race, age, background, socioeconomic status, or what have you. When you then tell those founders to minimize risk by hiring through personal networks, you create a foundation for a culture that will continue to look homogenous as the company scales and grows.<p>If you've ever been involved in hiring in the Valley, or interviewed with any tech companies here, you've probably heard the words "culture fit." It's an insidious phrase, one that may start with good intentions, but ends up excluding good people, valuable hires who might have brought a much-needed diversity of thought, insight, and perspective to a company.<p>Silicon Valley wants to be a meritocracy, and it's not against diversity. But it's got a culture that's currently designed, albeit unintentionally, to create copies of itself and the people who are already here.