We have seen so many clear megatrends that have been coming towards us at lightning speed over the last few years. I really need to spend more time thing about it and trying to dissect the implications for me as an individual and hopefully to also eventually position myself to benefit from it, both financially and for personal growth.
Internet 1.0 and 2.0 came and went. It has now evolved into a living organism that takes a life of its own, an all powerful and all seeing eco-system. Social media is only 10+ years old but we have already moved on to a stage where we cannot remember what it was like before we were this connected to the world.
Same for Goggle maps. It has spawned the birth of Uber and Airbnb. Taxi uncles using only the old way of flag down service are wondering why they are getting less business now. Everyone can have on demand and accurate point pickup nowadays with discounts thrown in, so why should one go back to the old way of doing things?
Driverless cars are the next wave and technologically, it is already possible now. Disruption to the old way of life is just going to accelerate. Shopping malls are dying as online shopping becomes the norm. Malls may evolve to become just entertainment centers, else they become irrelevant.
It feels that the world is ready for the next big jump to internet 3.0 where we are only limited by our imagination. Cloud was a big invasion of privacy a few years ago but it is the norm nowadays. Nobody talks about it anyway – you are either in it or you might as well be a hermit in a cave and lock yourself out from the rest of the world.
What is the end state? As I have mentioned before, the movie Wall-e provides a hint of the future, where humans are made redundant as machines take over every chore. We are now talking about helicopter money, where a country may have to provide a basic monthly income to all citizens as most will be pushed out of a job as machines take over.
The future’s so bright, we’ve got to wear shades…
Leave a Reply