Tech founders are wrong about merit-based hiring – and it’s hurting Europe
31 mars 2026
17:28
The belief that meritocracy and diversity are in opposition is one of tech's most stubborn misconceptions.
For European founders trying to compete on a global stage, it may also be one of their most expensive.
For European founders trying to compete on a global stage, it may also be one of their most expensive.
"I actively try to get the best people,” says Harry Stebbings, founder of 20VC and one of Europe's most prominent voices in venture capital. “I don't try to get more women or more dropouts or more Asian people or more Buddhists. I don't because that would be discriminatory against everyone else. I will try and get the best people.”
That was Stebbings’ reply when Impact Loop asked him in an interview last year why the vast majority of the 100-plus founders he's backed are white and male. He didn't answer defensively, but matter-of-factly – reflecting a subtle but harmful oversight that seems to be gaining traction in European tech.