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Comment by sebringj | Hacker News Reader

From what I read it seems he's focusing on the pain points or barriers to learning from the perspective of the underprivileged from whence LeBron came. If you have someone that lived this giving him deep insight to the real issues AND he's a good person AND he has power to change, that is a fabulous formula for success. I hope this works out. Too many times you have people meaning well that have not actually experienced the life of the subjects being helped and you end up with wrong-fit solutions. We can all understand this as coders when we build something thinking this is how users will use it and then find out no, that's not the case.

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I'm not convinced this 'diversity of thought' (aka direct domain expertise) is actually as useful as people love to claim these days. It's an extremely popular narrative that gets pushed with very little questioning or measuring of its utility.

a) is it really accurate that a smart person can't legitimately learn and be sensitive to life experiences from others or b) why can't they hire people to advise them while still managing the project themselves?

This sounds like a solvable problem by promoting being sympathetic and deferential, rather than replacing people outright from the process simply because they aren't 'from' that group. It's just as likely the people with the life experience don't have the other skills for managing or running a project as well.

Everyone is acting like this project is already a success when it has just launched...Id wait a couple years before calling LeBron a hero.

>>> Everyone is acting like this project is already a success when it has just launched...Id wait a couple years before calling LeBron a hero.

Although I agree with your general point, I don't see the problem with praising people that is trying hard at changing the lives of others for the better.

> a) is it really accurate that a smart person can't legitimately learn and be sensitive to life experiences from others

There's are a lot of subtleties that lived experience can reveal. Even the smartest person might miss some knock-on effect, etc.

> b) why can't they hire people to advise them while still managing the project themselves?

So, you're saying... diversity of thought might be useful?

Yes useful in advisory role, ie interviewing subjects throughout the process, particularly getting their feedback/input during research, product development, and design would be extremely valuable. Which is quite distinct from this idea that entrepreneurs, leaders, and employees internal must be 'diverse' themselves in odder for projects to succeed.

What should matter first is the team members skill/talent relevant to the project. While also hiring sympathic people who go out in the field to get feedback and interview subjects to determine the problems needing solving,+gýg environment factors, attitudes, etc.

Bill Gates for example, does extensive research with many experts in the field trying to pinpoint actual barriers or issues that real people experience prior to coming up with problem and solution scenarios. My statement takes nothing away from that, rather, it is a good starting point to have this inside knowledge at the core to tackle real world issues effectively.

why the skepticism and negativity around this arguably good deed? he is stepping in to help people. what’s the issue here? why the downplay of the initiative?

look at zuck’s $100M to the new jersey school system. just lob money over the wall, hoping for results with absolutely no understanding of how to have sustainable impact.

Are you saying this failed do to a lack of diversity or his lack of involvement of relevant people directly familiar with the problem at hand... Or what exactly?

Throwing money at a project without strong, involved leadership can be ineffective and fail, or for a variety of other reasons, regardless of his or the members diversity.

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