The Oxymoron of “Data-Driven Innovation”

[What we label ‘visionary’ from the past was often an effort to center needs of the marginalized. At that time, as the privileged were unserved in ways similar those at the margins, making an app or internet product was an example of ‘building those with special needs improves it for everyone’. But it isn’t visionary any longer when privileged people do it because they’re already marginalized. The ‘data-driven’ development popular today tends to favour majorities, and thus consistently results in bland, incrementalist ideas not serving the marginalized.]

[‘Do it for yourself’ fell out of fashion because white cis men weren’t getting visionary ideas that way. The potential is still there if the doer is a marginalized voice.]

We gotta get over this idea that we’re being mensches by handing over our stolen power to unworthy or inexperienced charity cases. No. Marginalized people out-qualify mainstream existing leadership on injecting vision because only their perspectives can deliver a visionary product in an industry already optimized for mainstream perspectives.