Words Matter

Choosing Our Words

One of the first things we surfaced was the words used in our code base. Recently, it's become somewhat of a trend for tech companies to announce that they've removed racially charged terms like "blacklists" and "master branches" from their code bases. So, the question became, should we do this too?

Lots of followup questions began percolating. Is this really worth our time? Couldn't it be better spent building new features? Will it even make a difference? Should we post publicly about this? Won't people just accuse us of virtue signaling, only bringing this up to make ourselves look good?

These questions reminded me of when Paul Rusesabagina, the hero portrayed by Don Cheadle in the movie Hotel Rwanda who saved hundreds of lives during the Rwandan genocide, gave a talk during my freshman year of college. What has stuck with me in all the years since I saw him speak was his very simple message: words have power. It was words of hate broadcast over the Rwandan radio that sparked the massacre of over half a million people. And it was his words of negotiation that saved the lives of those under his protection.

The People in the Room

For me though, this conversation brought up another memory from my past. Several years ago, before Adalo was even a thing, I was leading a development team that had this very debate: Should we use the term "master branch"? I brought this concern up to the team, but the counter argument was that the term "master" was the standard and in no way meant to be racist, so that's what we decided to use. I knew it was wrong, but we did it anyway. That was a failure of leadership on my part and has been a regret ever since.

Looking back on that now, another problem with that decision was that there were no black people (or any minorities) involved in the discussion. It was just a handful of white guys in the room that day.

In the years since, that team has become much more diverse, but it's something we need to work on at Adalo, because it's not just the words that matter—it's the people you bring into the discussion. While we have an okay gender split of 40/60 at Adalo as a whole, if you look at our engineering team, it's more like 15/85. And when it comes to race, only 23% of our team are people of color, and none of them are black (though that is about to change).

Building Tools That Reflect Our Values

This commitment to inclusion extends beyond our internal practices to the products we build. Adalo, as an AI-powered app builder, enables people from all backgrounds to create native iOS and Android apps—regardless of their technical expertise. When we remove barriers to app development, we open doors for creators who might otherwise be excluded from the tech industry.

Ada, Adalo's AI builder, lets you describe what you want and generates your app. Magic Start creates complete app foundations from a description, while Magic Add adds features through natural language.

With over 3 million apps created on the platform, we've seen firsthand how accessible tools democratize technology creation. Our visual builder has been described as "easy as PowerPoint," and features like Magic Start—which generates complete app foundations from simple descriptions—mean that anyone with an idea can bring it to life. This matters because diverse creators build diverse products that serve diverse communities.

The AI features Builder, due for release in early 2026, will take this further with prompt-based app creation and editing. Combined with Magic Add for natural language feature requests and X-Ray for identifying performance issues, we're building tools that meet creators where they are rather than demanding they conform to traditional technical gatekeeping.

What's Next

Fixing our diversity gaps is a goal for us, and we're taking several steps to make that happen. Based on recommendations from Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and suggestions from our Social Responsibility Committee, we're doing the following:

As we get more experience with each of these, we'll share more specifics about what is and isn't working, so you can learn from our experience as well.

And look, we're not perfect. We're not going to solve anything by ourselves and certainly not overnight. But we're taking small steps, and we're putting in the work.

Key Takeaways

FAQ

Why choose Adalo over other app building solutions?

Adalo is an AI-powered app builder that creates true native iOS and Android apps from a single codebase. Unlike web wrappers, it compiles to native code and publishes directly to both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Starting at $36/month with unlimited usage and no record caps on paid plans, it removes the technical and financial barriers that often exclude diverse creators from app development.

What's the fastest way to build and publish an app to the App Store?

Adalo's drag-and-drop interface and AI-assisted building let you go from idea to published app in days rather than months. Magic Start generates complete app foundations from descriptions, and the platform handles the complex App Store submission process—certificates, provisioning profiles, and store guidelines—so you can focus on your app's features and user experience.

Why does inclusive language in technology matter?

Words have power and shape workplace culture. Removing racially charged terms like "blacklists" and "master branches" from codebases creates a more welcoming environment for diverse teams. These changes demonstrate commitment to inclusivity and make a meaningful difference in how people feel valued at work.

What steps can companies take to improve diversity in engineering teams?

Practical strategies include anonymizing resumes during initial review to reduce implicit bias, recruiting from sources with diverse talent pools, avoiding exclusionary language in job postings, and setting specific diversity goals. Ongoing evaluation of what works leads to meaningful improvements over time.

Why is it important to have diverse voices in technical decisions?

Diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making and help avoid blind spots. Decisions made by homogeneous groups may overlook concerns affecting underrepresented communities. Including people from various backgrounds ensures products and practices are more thoughtful and inclusive.

Can I build an inclusive app development environment with diverse team collaboration?

Yes. Adalo's visual builder allows team members from various backgrounds—regardless of technical expertise—to contribute meaningfully to app development. The platform has been described as "easy as PowerPoint," fostering collaboration and diverse input throughout the building process.

How does accessible app building support diversity in tech?

When tools remove technical barriers, creators who might otherwise be excluded can participate in the tech industry. Over 3 million apps have been created on Adalo by people from all backgrounds, demonstrating how accessible platforms democratize technology creation and bring more diverse products to market.

What AI features does Adalo offer for app building?

Magic Start generates complete app foundations from simple descriptions. Magic Add lets you add features through natural language requests. X-Ray identifies performance issues before they affect users. The AI features Builder, due in early 2026, will enable full prompt-based app creation and editing.