Our Blog

Insights, resources, and inspiration for disabled entrepreneurs breaking barriers and building success.

The Cult of the Average: Why Your Hiring Process is a Safety Hazard
Cognitive Variance
December 31, 20254 min

The Cult of the Average: Why Your Hiring Process is a Safety Hazard

We spend millions chasing 'innovation' while simultaneously hiring for conformity. It is time to admit that 'culture fit' is just a polite term for systemic fragility.

Cristian Brownlee
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The Ghost in the Machine: Why AI Therapy is a Feature, Not a Bug
Systemic Design
December 26, 20254 min

The Ghost in the Machine: Why AI Therapy is a Feature, Not a Bug

Critics worry that AI chatbots are a poor substitute for human empathy. They’re missing the point. In a world of friction-heavy systems, the 'good enough' availability of AI is a masterclass in inclusive design.

Cristian Brownlee
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The Equality Act: A Toothless Tiger
The Human Factor
December 12, 20254 min

The Equality Act: A Toothless Tiger

The Equality Act is designed to protect us. But without active enforcement, it is merely a suggestion. Why are we forcing the individuals it claims to protect to fund their own justice against the deepest pockets?

Cristian Brownlee
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The Battlefield for Attention: Why Your Strategy is Losing to 'Brainrot'
The Human Factor
December 8, 20255 min

The Battlefield for Attention: Why Your Strategy is Losing to 'Brainrot'

We believe our strategies fail because they are wrong. The truth is often simpler: they fail because nobody is actually listening.

Cristian Brownlee
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My Broken-Hip Birthday: Why Constraints are the Best Filter for What Matters
The Art of the Reframe
November 30, 20253 min

My Broken-Hip Birthday: Why Constraints are the Best Filter for What Matters

I spent my birthday immobilised by a broken hip. It turned out to be a gift. It wasn't a limitation; it was the most perfect filter for what actually matters.

Cristian Brownlee
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The Sainsbury's Wine Delusion: Your 'Simple Fix' is Someone Else's Miracle
The Human Factor
November 23, 20255 min

The Sainsbury's Wine Delusion: Your 'Simple Fix' is Someone Else's Miracle

I gave my plumber a 'simple' website instead of a cheap bottle of wine. His reaction taught me a profound lesson about value, expertise, and the ingenuity we take for granted.

Cristian Brownlee
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The Friction Fallacy: Why Your Customers Are Lying to You
Strategic Constraints
November 15, 20254 min

The Friction Fallacy: Why Your Customers Are Lying to You

Most business leaders are obsessed with making things easier, but sometimes the secret to success is making things just a little bit harder.

Cristian Brownlee
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The Diagnostic Power of Friction
Cognitive Variance
November 10, 20254 min

The Diagnostic Power of Friction

Disability is often framed as a deficit to be managed. In reality, it is a high-resolution sensor for the design flaws and commercial opportunities that everyone else is too comfortable to notice.

Cristian Brownlee
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The Peacock’s Gamble: Why Your 'Handicap' is a High-Value Asset
Strategic Constraints
November 8, 20254 min

The Peacock’s Gamble: Why Your 'Handicap' is a High-Value Asset

The logical world is obsessed with efficiency and 'lean' operations. But in the real world, the most powerful signal of quality isn't how much you've cut, but how much you can afford to carry.

Cristian Brownlee
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Business Lessons from a Broken Hip
The Human Factor
November 6, 20254 min

Business Lessons from a Broken Hip

From a hospital bed, one gets a unique vantage point on systems. And the truth I've seen? 'Efficiency' is often just a polite word for transferring friction from your spreadsheet directly onto your customer.

Cristian Brownlee
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The Tyranny of the Average User
Insights
October 18, 20254 min

The Tyranny of the Average User

Designing for everyone is a shortcut to pleasing no one. If you want true innovation, stop looking at the middle of the bell curve and start looking at the edges.

Cristian Brownlee
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