None of them wanted to hear me describe the device as giving people their lives back.

They already had lives.

The feedback humbled me, and it made the product better.

We learned to measure outcomes and to communicate carefully about what the design could and could not do.

I found myself becoming a more thoughtful business owner for the same reason I had become a more patient parent: I had learned to listen instead of imagining that my intentions were sufficient.

We moved into a small building by the river, a place with wide doorways, an accessible entrance, and a bright room where visitors could test equipment under appropriate supervision.