A letter from the CTO re: the hiring process
Hi, all. It’s been a while! Six weeks, by my count. As it turns out, building up a business is like eating a clock: it’s time-consuming. Here’s a quick...
To hell with the business case, again
I told you so. One of my first posts to this newsletter was titled To hell with the business case. It begins: I’ve had a lot of positions on a lot of issues...
Some news about Practical
Happy Monday! A bonus happy Canada Day to those who celebrate. Practical Equity and Inclusion was formed a year ago last week. I’ve been writing this...
The engineer problem, part 2
In my last newsletter, I outlined a problem I see in a lot of tech spaces, to wit: efforts in the DEI space tend to work around companies’ engineering...
The engineer problem, part 1
A couple weeks ago, I did a thing. I stumbled across a property auction with literally lots and lots of iMacs, and I won. Several times. Ultimately, I ended...
The accessibility community is not the disability community
Happy Monday! Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) was last week. Those of you from the accessibility side of the house will surely have seen an uptick...
“We”
Happy belated Mother’s Day, whether or not you’re on America’s schedule for that. Over the weekend I listened to an interesting interview on BBC radio, about...
Who exactly is doing product equity?
Happy iPad Upgrade Eve to those who celebrate. For those of you who were wondering if this product DEI newsletter was ever going to talk about product DEI,...
6 months of Practical Tips!
Happy half-birthday to this newsletter! On October 30, 2023, the first issue of Practical Tips went out. I didn’t know if this would work, or if I could keep...
The dancing bear, part 2
Happy Earth Day! Today seems especially appropriate to talk about strategies for reining in artificial intelligence: an NGO in Hong Kong recently estimated...
The dancing bear, part 1
Happy Tax Day to those who celebrate. This one’s a two-parter, and it gets heavy. Please remain calm and hydrated. Going solo last year has led me to some...
This one’s for the white guys
Happy Monday! Today there’s a total solar eclipse spanning from Mexico, through the midwestern to northeastern US, and into Canada. If you’re somewhere in...
Announcing the Practical website!
Yeah, okay. You know what this is. It’s occurred to me that I’ve been in business (for some value of “business”) since late last year, but still never got...
AI for them vs. AI for me
Happy Monday! I’m back from a long swing through California, and I am resolved to never ever leave home again. For at least a couple weeks. Today, I want to...
On (hopefully not) becoming that guy
Happy Monday. A quick introduction: my name is Matt May, and I run a consulting company called Practical Equity and Inclusion. I’m going to try something...
We need to talk about Jakob
Jakob Nielsen woke up one morning last week and chose violence. If you haven’t read his recent post, “Accessibility Has Failed: Try Generative UI =...
The politics of making a face
It’s hard writing a newsletter like this one without every issue being about generative AI. I’m trying to space them out, but everything about how one of...
Turning coworkers into allies
A long time ago, my partner, an ordained minister, introduced me to her peer group. To break the ice, she told them my job title was “accessibility...
Inclusive designers and designers who include
Hi, all. It's a new week, and I don't want to get in the way of you and your Beyoncé downloads, so let's get right to it. Last week saw another wave of tech...
A Black History Month book report
Hi, all. This is the first Monday of Black History Month, so I’m going to attempt to write about Black history. It’s hard to write about a community you’re...
The tech balloon
It’s been another week of layoffs and other trouble signs for tech companies. You may be hearing the word “bubble” mentioned, echoing historical downturns...
What has a ceiling but no floor?
To answer your burning question: no, I didn’t buy an Apple Vision Pro. Truth be told, I’m totally the guy who would have just a couple years ago. But I’m...
When equity work isn’t worth it
Happy Monday. Today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States. It’s a good time to re-read King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. First, thanks for...
A personal detour
Hi all, There’s no new issue of Practical Tips this week. In its place, I’m going to tell you about another part of my life, and make a personal request....
Is it time for an ethics check-up?
Happy 2024! I wasn’t going to write something this week, but it’s a new year, and if you’re looking for the “new you” to go along with that, here’s something...
Product equity: a Practical objective
Hello, and welcome to the final Practical Tips of the year. I’m Matt May, Practical’s founder. I’ve written 10,343 words since I launched this here...
Inclusive design: a Practical point of view
Happy December! Practical Equity and Inclusion earned its first ever income over the last week. More on that, with mentoring session links, at the bottom....
Accessibility: a Practical perspective
Hi all. Hope you Americans out there had a good weekend with your families. (And if you’re not, I hope the same for you. We just got two extra days to do it...
Two gaps and three pillars
Happy Monday! Hope you had a good weekend and weren’t fired by your board for unspecified lapses in communication, before spending the weekend architecting...
How could IDEA be a bad idea?
Welcome to Practical Tips. I’m Matt May, Chief Hot Take Officer at Practical Equity and Inclusion. Hello, new subscribers! This is issue #3. If you read this...
To hell with the business case
I’ve had a lot of positions on a lot of issues over my career, but there’s one that I’ve been consistent on from the beginning. You do not sell product...
Stay Human
First post! Why AI/ML harm is a pressing equity issue.