Women First, Tech Second: Why Understanding Users Is Still the Most Powerful Skill in Tech

​"Women First, Tech Second: why understanding users is still the most powerful skill in tech" is a talk organised as part of The Future of Tech is Female 2026, exploring why meaningful innovation starts with understanding people's needs rather than focusing on technology itself.

​While the tech industry celebrates innovation, new tools and emerging technologies, not every innovation serves people equally. In particular, women continue to face inequalities in both technology and healthcare, where solutions don't always reflect their actual experiences and needs.

​Drawing on more than a decade of experience building digital products and her personal 28-year journey through a difficult diagnostic process, Dorothée Dinne, founder of Fâmme, challenges the way we define innovation.

​For women living with chronic pain, the priority isn't necessarily the technology behind a solution. It's finding relief, accessing trustworthy support and feeling heard and understood.

​Through her experience as a product designer, creative director and entrepreneur, Dorothée will explore how a technology-first mindset can reinforce existing inequalities, and why focusing on real user outcomes is essential to developing solutions that make a meaningful difference.

​The session will conclude with a Q&A, inviting participants to reflect on how empathy, user research and a deeper understanding of people's experiences can lead to more relevant and inclusive innovation.