For the sixth installment of our credWebinar series, we explored the intersection of ethics and technology, and what that means for the products we’re building. To further shed light on this quandary, Carey Jenkins, the CEO of Substantial, broke down five steps to help us focus on ethically built products.

Here are a few key insights from her discussion: 

Step 1: Lead From Why: If you are a leader and you are not starting with why for every decision, you are doing a disservice to your team and your users. Set a clear example of what’s important.

Step 2: Change the OS: Rethink the environment your products are being built. The decision-making process, accountability, and company goals should all be taken into account. 

Step 3: Reduce Blind Spots: Diversity in and of itself will not guarantee ethical products. But it is very hard to create ethically without diversity. 

Step 4: Think in Systems: Once you understand the system, you can start to map out how it might evolve. Does the product improve, change, or eliminate parts of the system? How might your product change in the system in unintended ways?

Step 5: Create with Foresight: When you think about what success looks like, know that every milestone can have a profound effect on the quality of innovation. How might the system evolve in 1,3,5 years? Do you success metrics account for systemic change? How much runway do you need to bring value to your users?

Learn more about Carey and how to build ethical products in the full recording—or, click through the slides from her presentation.

About Carey Jenkins, CEO of Substantial

Carey is a digital innovation +  build studio that partners with companies like Google, Genentech, Mercedes Benz, Shoah Foundation, and IDEO to create meaningful, business-changing digital products. Carey is passionate about the intersection of ethics and technology and deeply invested in fostering open dialogue about the influence technology has on our lives and the role digital innovation can play in solving some of society’s greatest challenges.