As a better introduction of what to expect from my blog, I invite you to understand the challenges I plan to tackle and the types of issues that interest me.

I find it interesting to think about future opportunities for the emerging technologies that are increasingly becoming more exciting and game-changing. Discovering the practical applications of these technologies and consequences surrounding them, and even further, trying to develop a business strategy around them remains a challenge.

As recognized by Marcene Sonneborn, one of my professors at Syracuse University, there are a few important notes to keep in mind when thinking about the future and environmental scanning:

  • “Any useful statement about the futures should appear to be ridiculous.” – Jim Dator
  • “Not all change is created equal”
  • “Never say never”

By this I mean, no one anticipated the market Xerox created or the importance and demand for copy machines; all innovation has positive and negative implications (look no further than file-sharing services); and never constrain your thoughts by what you believe to be implausible.

Consider current technologies and their possible future applications.  For instance, the possibility of embedding nanotechnology in the body to allow for humans to download medicine to heal themselves.  Or think about the future of genetic sciences: since each cell contains the blueprints for the entire structure of an organism, it would be possible to extract a cell and grow out certain pieces.  For example growing human organs in animals for transplants, or possibly even a plant that can grow meat (this would change a lot for the vegetarian community).

It is also difficult to apply these ideas to future business models, especially as we shift from the industrial age to the information age (a topic I will further discuss later on).  The way we do business in the future is likely to change substantially as we shift from market-based production to a society of both market and non-market based production (read:open-source movement and crowdsourced collaboration), where the value of information is increasing and the methods of protecting intellectual property and copyright is inevitably going to change.

I encourage you to comment as I hope to inspire thought, spark discussions, and further develop ideas that are risen in my posts.