Diversity is good for business

When we founded RootNode.es, the trend in tech companies was to serve the minimum common denominator, maximize profits, and adopt artificial intelligence everywhere.

We did a wild bet focusing on diversity and human connections instead.

And it’s working better than we imagined. Less than one year later, our business is blooming, and our team is growing.

Let us share three stories where our approach has made a huge impact.

Stories that connect

Most technical content uses engineering language that goes to the point.

We believe we can do more to connect with our audience.

Rather than writing for “the average engineer”, we visualize our audience as a diverse collage of minorities. We do an empathy exercise to sync with their problems, imagining what their personal lives look like, and trying to figure out what they are passionate about. Then, we address that in the content. Not with grand gestures, but with subtle details: a sneaky reference here, the use of neutral language there, and overall making our content accessible and easy to read.

Our customers tell us that people engage above average with the content we produce. There’s no bigger praise for us.

This is the core of our business, and we wouldn’t be so successful if we limited ourselves to stereotypes and played it safe.

Meaningful business connections

How do you connect with someone when everyone is playing pretend?

Let me explain. Society is terrifying and unforgiving, so we all hide behind public personas that are acceptable, but often far from who we really are.

To reach behind that mask and get to know our clients, collaborators, and audience better, we have a simple strategy. We make the space around us as safe as possible:

We accept ourselves for who we are, and show others with little filter.
We accept others and try to anticipate their needs.
We learn without judgment.

The result? Trust and honest conversations.

Our clients consider us part of their teams and trust us with sensible projects they wouldn’t otherwise outsource. At the same time, our collaborators enjoy working with us, and we get to know our audience better.

All these connections don’t pay off only in more work, but also in a thriving exchange of ideas and knowledge that compensates for our being such a small team.

Quality of life for our team

Everyone agrees that workspaces are a somewhat hostile environment for most, especially for minorities.

For years, tech companies tried to compensate for this with games, fancy decorations, and forced group activities. All ideas better suited to a university campus than to a workplace.

There is a whole set of serious issues that cause employees to lose sleep, lower their performance, and ultimately burn out. Why not approach those instead?

For example, at RootNode.es, we have very flexible work hours. Do you have to take care of your kids? A family member? A friend? Do you feel like the world moves too fast? Take your time, no questions asked. Just let the team know so they can cover for you.

Meetings are also in our crosshairs. They are traumatic events for people suffering from impostor syndrome, introverts, or people who just need time to process. Simple details, like preparing a meeting asynchronously, make the experience better for everyone.

Also, we try to make our workplace as safe a space as we can. We apply everything we discussed in the previous point, but we also pay attention to a few extra details. For example, when asking for project updates we avoid questions like “How is this going?”, “Will this be finished on time?” we offer help: “Where are you getting blocked?” “How can we help?”

From a business point of view, we are scoring two wins:

Issues are highlighted before they become a problem, and the machine runs smoothly.
As we finish our tasks earlier, we have extra time to help others, experiment, and come up with new ideas.

We are still a young business, so we are just starting to see the benefits of this approach.

What is normal, anyway?

If you have been reading between the lines up until now, you’ll already have figured out there’s more to the story than just us saying, “We are milking the diversity cow, you should too.”

This whole commitment to diversity comes from our core values and how we see the world.

Let’s simplify it by looking at the demographics of the LGBTQ+ community. Decades of studies hint to 10% of the global population falling into the LGBTQ+ umbrella. It’s hard to tell, as most studies only focus on gays and lesbians.

In any case, closing a deal with a client most certainly involves either a member of the LGBTQ+ community, a friend, or a family member.

Add up women, racialized people, those with functional diversity, those with mental health issues, and other minorities. Is there anyone left outside?

Which brings up the question: What is normal, anyway?

Putting diversity on the table is nothing more than treating the world for what it is: A wonderful and diverse place. Internalizing this fact shifts your perspective on the world, but it also exposes you to an existential crisis: If the world is not what they say it is, what else is that way? What is a workplace? How should business relationships be?

Luckily, the answer is close by.

Pretty much everyone who doesn’t fit into a strict and monochromatic view of the world has been forced into a self-discovery trip. Why don’t I fit in society? Who am I? What is my place? Those who complete the trip gain self-acceptance and perspective, which translates into a wiser view of the world.

If you create a safe space around you, those people will guide you. You just have to listen and learn. Then you realize that diversity is just about making things better for everyone.

Diversity is the core of our business

Our focus on diversity is core to our values, and a reflection of how we see the world.

On the business side, it’s our most prized tool. It makes our work unique, strengthens relationships with our clients, and creates a dream work environment.

We still have lots to learn, and we are excited to have you along on our journey.