Many entrepreneurs, and the venture investors who back them, seek to build billion-dollar companies. Aileen Lee More Quotes by Aileen Lee More Quotes From Aileen Lee I think there are many things that we can do today to make it a better work environment that is more supportive and encouraging of diversity. Aileen Lee think diversity work today You have to get under the hood and spend some quality time with someone to understand what they're really good at. Aileen Lee good you quality time When I was growing up, I had lots of smart classmates that were girls, but none of us were really pushed into math or computers or anything like that. Girls took AP history and AP English and AP European history. And boys took calculus and physics. Aileen Lee computers classmates smart history Immigrants play a huge role in the founding and value creation of today's tech companies. We wonder how much more value could be created if it were easier to get a work visa. Aileen Lee value wonder work today There is very little diversity among founders in the Unicorn Club. Aileen Lee little club very diversity Female users are the unsung heroines behind the most engaging, fastest growing, and most valuable consumer Internet and e-commerce companies. Aileen Lee consumer e-commerce behind internet Savvy companies are quietly changing up their boards of directors and teams, and this is giving them better collective intelligence, more community admiration, and better financial results. Aileen Lee better intelligence community giving I've learned that you really cannot judge a book by its cover. Aileen Lee cannot judge you book I grew up in New Jersey and played sports and rode my bike around. It was a really nice time - kids didn't have cellphones then - and you knew everyone in the town. Aileen Lee you bike time sports I did not grow up thinking that I wanted to be an engineer. I had read some articles about girls becoming increasingly scientifically illiterate and that girls lacked confidence in their capabilities when it came to quantitative skills. And I just thought that was kind of wrong. Aileen Lee grow thought confidence thinking It's awesome that you have a female CFO and a female GC, but if you look at the investing partners, and it's 15 dudes, I do think those people are going to get left behind if they don't get with where the world is going. Aileen Lee look you people world Top creative and innovative talent wants to live in a vibrant, transit-friendly, global city that offers access to not only great jobs but also great food, entertainment and culture. Aileen Lee city great food culture We're in this incredible age where new brands are making people's lives easier, more convenient, more personalized. Aileen Lee more new age people The world is diverse, and having a professional team that mirrors the world is going to be more helpful for us. Aileen Lee professional more team world Why do investors seem to care about 'billion dollar exits?' Historically, top venture funds have driven returns from their ownership in just a few companies in a given fund of many companies. Aileen Lee why top just care Each major wave of technology innovation has given rise to one or more super-unicorns - companies that could change your life to work at or invest in if you're not lucky/genius enough to be a co-founder. Aileen Lee technology change work life Some investors may grumble about entrepreneurs wanting 'unicorn valuations.' But let's be honest: most investors want them, too, and are supporting the massive capitalization of these companies. Aileen Lee about some want may When companies are private, founders can share more about their future dreams with investors; report less; and the shares are illiquid, constraining short-term changes in valuation. Aileen Lee more changes dreams future History suggests the 2010s will give rise to a super-unicorn or two that reflect the key tech wave of the decade, the mobile web. Aileen Lee decade rise will history If you're looking to grow your user base, is there a best way to cost-effectively attract valuable users? I'm increasingly convinced the best way is by harnessing a concept called social proof, a relatively untapped gold mine in the age of the social web. Aileen Lee looking best you age