Techno-optimists, rug pulls, and hype-biscus

Techno-optimists, rug pulls, and hype-biscus

Welcome to this 7th issue of our newsletter “Weak Signals and other Trends”. Each week, I sift through hundreds of sources of inspiration to track where we’re heading. We discuss those trends and signals every Saturday at 9am EST on Clubhouse.

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This is what I noticed this week, thank you for reading and sharing the word.

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Blindspots

Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new opportunities and avoid missing emerging risks

The Surging Demand for Digital Collectibles Could Offer a Lifeline for Cash-Strapped Museums. Zoom quietly launches “Real Experiences” , competing with AirBnb. The fallacy of “what gets measured gets managed”. Geekplus automates picking and flow in the warehouse. Fin-fluencers. Snapchat’s AR capabilities are boosting its commerce efforts.

Not familiar with the notion of strategic blindspots? Here is an article we wrote about blindspots for the World Economic Forum.

Our future

Up close with transhumanists. All futurism is Afrofuturism. First space hotel set to open in 2027. Google Working On ‘Wolverine’ Project, A Device That Enables ‘superhuman Hearing’. Robots and labour in the service sector. Helping robots handle uncertainty. The 10 most innovative companies in robotics. How will Generation C ( Covid) shape up? Beyond Hygge. Shopping will be dominated by a few but enriched by many. Paving the way for smart clothing. Facebook is betting on the wrist. A Hacker Got All Your Texts for $16. Scientists coax cells to mimic earliest human embryo stage. Flexiform architecture.

Check also this treasure trove of trends reports by the Future Today Institute.

We keep you informed as we spot other disruptive trends on Twitter.

Weak signals

Weak signals are indicators of a change, a trend or an emerging risk that might become significant for the future. They allow us to run hypothesis, expand our thinking, and challenge assumptions. How will you interpret those in your industry or field of expertise?

For the First Time Ever, the Rijksmuseum Will Hang Works by Female Dutch Masters in Its Most Prestigious Gallery. Lego is looking to hire a kid to be creative director for a new all-kids digital content studio. What’s a “rug Pull”: Kenny Schachter’s Handy Glossary of NFT Terms for Newbie Crypto-Art Converts. Hype-biscus: a sign “happy” flavors will get us out of the pandemia-gloom? Algorithm helps artificial intelligence systems dodge “adversarial” inputs. a New Show Invites You to Sniff the Odors of Art History Anyway. The dawn of quaranzine.

Join us on Clubhouse at 9AM EST tomorrow to discuss how to interpret some of those weak signals.For those who missed it, we will have this 60mns morning discussion each Saturday at 9am EST ( look for @competia or follow our club “Trends! And weak signals”). Here is a summary of our conversation two weeks ago.

On our radar

In this section, I will share some of the content I come across as I work on specific mandates for our clients. This week:

Digital for B2B: I am working with a number of B2B companies looking at digital transformation and wondering how relevant it really is for themOmnichannel in B2B. how brands are navigating a year of rapid transformation and preparing for the year ahead. B2B’s Digital Shift Is Permanent and Incomplete. Clubhouse: What’s in it for B2B Brands? Eight charts to understand how COVID-19 has changed B2B sales forever. Add more rich media to your content strategy.


Hodgepodge discovery

Are you ready to be a techno-optimist again? How to poison the data that Big Tech uses to surveil you. Eight of Literature’s Most Powerful Inventions—and the Neuroscience Behind How They Work. Fostering Casual Collisions — and Creativity — in a Virtual World. Playmobil’s plan to infiltrate your workspace – and compete with Lego Serious Play. Starbucks implements tech for blind and low-vision customers to aid in-store navigation and more. Why are so many people in Taiwan changing their names to “salmon”?


Du coté des francophones

We’ve had many new subscribers come in last week from France thanks to the outstanding reference to our newsletter in the amazing 15Marches. I decided to include here as a result a few references in French. Donc pour tous les bruitistes…

L’an 2000 imaginé en 1900. Comment choisir un logiciel de veille stratégique. TikTok, générateur de tendances culinaires en pandémie. On aime beaucoup aussi la publication hebdomadaire de l’Intimiste. Abandonner les chiffres romains pour se faire comprendre. Les tendances de consommation touristique.


Feeling good

On the Tokyo metro. Playing it cool: these artists make music with iceCow cuddling has become a thing for lonely hearts in the pandemic. The adventure so far. So Canadian, so 2021: snowshoe yoga. Create your own rejection letters and they are hilarious. Just chilling

Did you learn something today? Share your favorite issues of the newsletter, or send friends – or random strangers:

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Hit me up at https://twitter.com/competia with feedback, pitches, or ideas for what to write about! Thank you for reading.

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