Unconscious Bias is Killing Opportunity

Imagine for a moment that you are on your way to a tech conference in San Francisco to hear from CEOs who are disrupting the travel industry. You are hoping to connect with a few investors while you’re there. You grab an Uber from your house to the airport, make your way through TSA, and settle into your seat as the flight attendants start the safety announcements.

By now, you likely have a mental picture of the people in this story. What do the CEOs look like? How about the flight attendants?

From birth, our brains are wired to create shortcuts. This is how we quickly deal with the loads of information we take in every day. We fill in the blanks with our past experiences — the things that feel familiar to us. In a matter of seconds, our brain decides whether someone is smart, trustworthy, dateable, etc.

The subtle assumptions we make about people can have a huge impact on their ability to move through the world. Unconscious bias often determines who gets picked for an interview, who gets approved for a loan to fund their startup, and even who gets a response to an email. We miss out on valuable connections every day, simply because our brains are wired to filter for comfort and familiarity.