MEI (Merit, Excellence and Intelligence) vs. DEI/ESG
Jun 19, 2024
What Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang thinks about DEI/ESG — He's worth $14 billion. Secured $1 billion in funding. Expected to hit $1.4 billion ARR by the end of 2024
The CEO of a hot artificial intelligence startup won praise from other chief executives, including Elon Musk, after he announced a hiring policy that focuses on merit.
His investors include Wellington Management, Y Combinator, Spark Capital, Founders Fund, Greenoaks, Tiger Global Management, DFJ Growth, Elad Gil, Amazon, ServiceNow Ventures, Intel Capital and AMD Ventures
The market rewards founders on MEI — (Merit, Excellence and Intelligence).
Not DEI/ESG.
→ Silicon Valley is starting to figure this out
→ The LPs are demanding it
→ Shareholders have had it
Alexandr Wang says:
"Talent is our #1 input metric."
"It’s a big deal whenever we invite someone to join our mission, and those decisions have never been swayed by orthodoxy or virtue signaling or whatever the current thing is. I think of our guiding principle as MEI: merit, excellence, and intelligence."
"That means we hire only the best person for the job, we seek out and demand excellence, and we unapologetically prefer people who are very smart."
"We do not unfairly stereotype, tokenize, or otherwise treat anyone as a member of a demographic group rather than as an individual.
"We believe that people should be judged by the content of their character — and, as colleagues, be additionally judged by their talent, skills, and work ethic."
The rise of the Anti-Woke is here.
→ I'm a 3nd Gen Mexican American (not Lantinx)
→ From east LA
→ From working-class parents
→ I didn't go to Stanford
→ I didn't have a network
I just worked my @$$ off
God helped me
This is how I got lucky
At the intersection of preparation and opportunity
According to Bill Aulet, MIT Guru and author of Discipled Entrepreneurship, successful entrepreneurs have:
→ have developed the spirit of pirate
→ and the skills of a navy seal
I agree.
Need help, reach out.
- Gerald
