How to Predict the Future
I was asked “What is the best way to predict the future?” on the website Quora. I don’t really know the best but I have an idea on how you can figure out what the next big thing will be. My short Quora answer went like this -
The best way to see what’s coming down the road is to think about which industries and current technologies are ripe for disruption. The status quo, in the age of the internet, won’t remain the status quo for long.
Another way to think about this is which new technology feels disruptive? Either that technology will continue to develop (bitcoin) or the technology is headed in the right direct (nano tech).
Like I noted above, the best way to think about the future is which industries and services are in need of disruption now? What comes to mind? Here are a few that I can think of -
- The airline industry
- Money and related transactions
- The workplace and how we define work
- Delivery services
- Food production
- Manufacturing
- Elderly care
On an almost daily basis I stop to think, “this could be done better” what ever this happens to be. That’s the future. If you can dream it, someone else is probably going to build it.