Building For Everyone

CHAPTER 1Building for Everyone: Why Product Inclusion Matters

Across industries, we've heard that inclusion is “the right thing to do.” Good people and ethical organizations believe in and practice diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is certainly true, but it oversimplifies the reason why people and organizations should care about and embrace these virtues.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion matter for two reasons. The first is a human reason—people matter. Diversity enriches the world with different languages, perspectives, customs, foods, clothing, art, innovation, and much more. Equity and inclusion are essential for making people feel welcome, appreciated, and empowered; in a way, they enable everyone to flourish and to contribute in all ways that make them unique.

The second is a business reason—diversity, equity, and inclusion are good for business and for all productive human endeavors. Organizations that engage with people representing a wide range of demographics reap ideas and innovations that vastly improve their products and services and even open their eyes to new markets and entirely new businesses. As a result, they grow their customer base, increase innovation, and build momentum over less inclusive players.

To create for the world we live in, we must build in an environment that reflects that world. We cannot build for people without understanding them, their needs, their preferences, and what disappoints and upsets them and makes them feel excluded. The world ...