I&#x27;ll rephrase that - if you want to hire ME, you need to take this stuff seriously.<p>I wasn&#x27;t delving into the merits of diversity - I believe in it; I&#x27;m seeing it put to the test every day at my company, and I like what I see.<p>&gt; it doesn&#x27;t follow that maximizing diversity is therefor an imperative for companies that want to have world-class teams.<p>Diversity isn&#x27;t about addition&#x2F;subtraction, nor is it calculus; it&#x27;s not even sociology, macroeconomics, or socioeconomics.<p>Diversity is about adaptive systems.<p>&gt; In fact diversity seems to be orthogonal to competence.<p>I&#x27;ll concede this point, but only with the substitution of &quot;productivity&quot; for &quot;competence&quot;. Homogenous teams can outperform diverse teams, IN THE SHORT TERM.<p>Diversity may lead directly to inefficiency and conflict.  In the short term, these are painful inhibitors to productivity.<p>In the long term, diversity of backgrounds, capabilities and perspectives - properly aligned - can be a huge asset.<p>If you are building a new company, and you want to beat the world, you&#x27;d be foolish to hire a bunch of people who think about things the same way that you do.