The Gate Is Locked. But the Future Is Not

Who are we really building the future for?

I rarely write articles. But this one stayed with me. Maybe because I recognize too much of myself in it. Or maybe because I just cannot accept that we are still letting a system decide who gets to belong and who does not. Especially in tech. Especially now in these times where Europe needs to step up and move away from being a regulator and move into the creator arena…

A lot of smart and motivated young people in Denmark just got turned down by the tech universities. Again. Not because they were lazy or did not care. Not because they did not have potential. But simply because there was not enough space. Too many rules. Too few spots. And a structure that has not changed in decades.

Rejection at that age hurts. It does not just stop a plan. It creates doubt. It shakes confidence. It makes people feel they are not enough. That they did something wrong. Even if the system is the one that failed them.

Yes, people are encouraged to have a plan B. Even a plan C. But why should anyone be forced to settle when they know what they want and feel it deep in their gut. The reality is, that most people follow what society expects. They pick something safer. Something acceptable. And maybe years later they look back and wonder what could have happened if they had been allowed to go for what they actually wanted in the first place.

Some will move on and make it work. Some will stay stuck in that “what if”. Some will quietly give up and carry the belief that they were never given a real chance. And a few — the ones who refuse to be told no — will teach themselves. They will keep going despite the barriers in front of them.

I have seen the posts calling for the government to step in. I get it. More spots. More funding. Better access. Yes. But also, maybe it is time to stop waiting. Maybe it is time we build in parallel. If the system is slow to change, then let it catch up later. We have people to empower now.

The idea that the only valid path into tech is through academic doors is outdated if you ask me… That world does not exist anymore. We keep linking talent to grades and learning to classrooms. While out there, we have teenagers building artificial intelligence in their bedrooms. We have women leaving corporate roles because the system would not adapt and they go off to build something of their own instead.

This is not just about education. This is about design. Who the system was made for in the first place. We keep saying we want inclusion. But into what exactly?

The workplace was built by men. For men. It works best for people with linear lives and no interruptions. No caregiving. No hormones. No pause. Just constant output. Women are told to lean in. Keep quiet. Fit in. Be grateful for the seat. And maybe then they will reach the top. But even then, it is on someone else’s terms.

When women step out, for maternity, for perimenopause, or simply to breathe, the system does not pause with them. It moves on. It makes them start over. And the tech industry might be one of the worst examples of that although I might not have data to back this, but I have my own experience to have seen it multiple times while not being able to do much than to sit with my men privilege, which is not the passive role I want to stay in, but rather becoming an ally to gender equality…I don't want my daughter, my mother, my friend, my colleagues or anyone else's female counterpart having to go through this due to a design flaw..

We keep asking why women are not applying. Why they are not joining these programs. But maybe the question is why would they?

And no, this is not meant to be only about women. It is about anyone who did not follow the rules exactly. The ones who did not get top grades but have everything else that matters. Those who chose to experience life instead of only focusing on being the best on paper.

I see myself in that. I never had the right grades. I was not good at math. I found some subjects in school boring or just not made for me. I did not fail because I did not care. I just knew there were other ways to learn. Other ways to grow. But the system could not see that. It only had one lens.

So what if we stopped waiting and started building something else.

What if we created local labs where rejected applicants could keep learning. Publicly. With access. With support.

What if we let GitHub become the new curriculum vitae. What if we looked at what people are creating instead of where they went to school.

What if we formed a civic tech group. A group of people trained on a flexible basis to be activated during digital threats, health emergencies, or infrastructure breakdowns.

What if we gave self-learners access to artificial intelligence tools and cloud computing credits. No cost. Just recognition of effort.

What if we finally designed workplaces for biology. For cycles. For care. For people.

The system is not broken. It is just incomplete. And the ones it leaves out, they are not broken either. They are just not made to fit the mold. And maybe that is exactly what makes them right for what is next.

Because the danger is not only that we are turning people away. It is that we are creating a future where the people we need most no longer feel welcome at all.

Raul Cordero

Aiming to building systems where human potential actually belongs