Excuse my ignorance as I am not coming from a progressive western rich country but why is it important to have a forced diversity in a company? Why is it not enough to treat every person without bias or discrimination and judge them mainly on their skills ?

... as long as you exclude age as a diversity metric.

I did a quick scan of the top 20 companies, and I found about 10 people who plausibly looked over 40, and maybe 2 who cracked 50. Maybe I missed a few, but I feel certain that I am directionally correct.

Maybe SaaS isn’t a domain for older people, but somehow I imagine that there is no shortage of folks over 40 who could add significant value to these companies if they could get past the “culture fit” filter.

I will also add that while women seem to be decently represented, black people do not seem represented at all. I found 1 in the top 20 companies in a quick scan.

You are right! That was one of the reasons we've launched this list — we wanted to show how different are the personalities in these SaaS product teams.

with few exceptions from this list, ageism still seems like it is in full flight. I dread growing old in tech.

It's interesting because as the company I'm with (SalesLoft, 35 on this list) has gotten larger, with more revenue and goals, we've been hiring more experienced people to help guide the company. I do wonder if these people come with higher $$ expectations that aren't possible in the early days of a startup without taking on significant amounts of risk. I feel lucky to work with these people because they know what they're talking about and aren't afraid to say it.

I look forward to leading others with their level of experience one day.

Because we all know unequal results equals discrimination, every time. No other variables

Less women? Sexism - Less old people? Ageism - Less cats? Dogism

Sounds good to me

there is a legitimate economic (I'm not advocating this) argument for hiring younger. Younger devs are cheaper, often more idealistic and more willing to work unpaid overtime. Throw some cheap perks in there (catering, beanbags etc) to encourage them to spend all their time on company turf and I'm sure it adds up to a greater company benefit than hiring an older dev even allowing for experience/skill difference.

All because they are at the healthiest time of their lives. Also that means cheaper healthcare plans

There is a lot of wisdom to be found in people who do not make their place of employment the end all be all of their existence, even if for a period of time.

There's certainly a lot more to life than work. Doubly so in your 20s.

how is posting a picture of the team with a small description of the company showing off different "personalities"?

You are right, I used the wrong word. It shows the persons who work in each company (comparing to other lists, where only the logo of the company is being shown).

It makes me sad to see how white those teams pictures are.

Let me be clear, I do not think it is the fault of those companies nor their duty to fill their jobs with anyone but the most qualified for the job. Also, let me be clear this is referring to the US-based companies. The fault lies in those communities where non-whites mostly reside not having the proper vision by their leaders getting children ready for the future. The pictures grossly make that obvious.

Being a non-white tech leader that came from one of those communities I know what it takes to rise above it all. It is not an easy path.