Dateline: May 31 2030 Over the past two decades two opposing points of view about likely futures have hogged the media debates as if there were only two alternatives. Reality has proved quite different. The end of growth camp has portrayed a sad world in which no-one has any meaningful future unless we change our environmental attitudes, energy needs, lifestyle and workstyle. Capitalism and democracy themselves need a complete overhaul. The abundance camp has championed the “by embracing technology we can do anything” approach as a way to solve environmental, social and economic issues. If only politicians could understand the science of it all, free-market capitalism would do the rest. As usual … reality has won out over both extremes. While the debate still rages, both scenarios have in fact been realised, with varying degrees of success as the years have moved on. In the past two decades we have achieved both slow growth and fast growth, at the same time and from time to time. It’s no longer an either-or world. We live in a world of constant, increasing choice at a personal, community and national level. We should now realise that reality is always messy. We live in a world of inescapable duality. Access to resources is universal. Attitudes are not. There are no longer the “have-nots”, just the “want-nots”. Every one of the millions of new businesses that have been created by previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs will attest to that. If you don’t believe that you have a choice, you are already lost. The one thing we can all hope for is some kind of responsible global government ― or could that be the final disaster? / First published on Mindbullets July 17 2013. It’s chaotic and we love it Digital Darwinism provides innovation opportunities for the bold and nimble Dateline: July 6 2027 “Let’s go and get us some randomness today!” That’s the corporate battle cry of the new breed of innovators, business mavericks who are not fazed by the complexity or turbulence of the postdigital age. “It’s crazy out there; isn’t it fantastic?” Life, and business, beyond 2025 is chaotic. Digital technology has disrupted every industry in every part of the globe. From robotic mining in Australia to 3D-printed houses in China, AI finance in America and precision agriculture in Africa, it’s all digital. And everybody, and everything, is connected. It’s not over yet ― in fact it’s exponential. The technology tsunami has eradicated old-world business and continues to do so. Darwin was right: “Adapt or die” is the new mantra of business and those that can quickly change, responding to the furious pace of innovation, or even leading the charge, are reaping the rewards. Randomness and uncertainty, those dreaded demons of last-century commerce, are now eagerly embraced. That’s where the opportunities lie and digital mavens know how to flip into a new trend and tap into the ever-shifting but always growing global pulse of digital life. For every dying dinosaur business there are a dozen new enterprises: pop-up corporates. Who would have thought such a thing could exist, let alone thrive? And they do morph and change with the ebb and flow of the digital tide. It’s a thing of beauty ― if you can stand the chaos. / First published on Mindbullets July 30 2014. • Despite appearances to the contrary, Futureworld cannot and does not predict the future. The Mindbullets scenarios are fictitious and designed purely to explore possible futures, and challenge and stimulate strategic thinking. Business Day