Why your startup team needs diversity — in race, financial background & gender

The shopworn adage “It takes all kinds of people to make a world” is never more controversial than when applied to technology startups.

“It takes all kinds of people to make a product” is much less accepted; diversity often gets short shrift when meritocracy is a supposed ideal and both time and funding are short.

However, having diversity of all kinds on a startup team can actually end up saving time and money. In this interview, Julia Hu, founder of Lark, explains exactly how and why founders should go out and consciously create diverse teams.

Lest you think she’s telling tales out of school, Hu herself has some big announcements this morning. Lark, the “silent un-alarm clock” she’s spent the past couple years working on, is going international at Apple stores in China and the EU.

“There could have been no greater start for us than to be sold in all Apple stores,” said Hu in an email this morning. “It was like being drafted to play and start for your hometown team. We were ecstatic.”

In addition to the hallowed shelves of Apple stores, you can also find Lark devices at Target stores, Best Buy, Walmart, Radio Shack and soon at Brookstone.com.