Welcome to this 77th 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. If you are a new subscriber to this newsletter, take the time to send me a note and introduce yourself, I love to understand who is reading.
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I am sending this newsletter this week from Montreal, Canada. This is what I noticed these past couple of weeks, thank you for sharing this newsletter with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Strategic Intelligence and data
The best place to explore trade data. An open source tool to “collect a dossier on a person by username from thousands of sites. Inspiring online charts. How fateful? 20 Years of Top Trending Google Searches.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots.
The Unintended Consequences of China Leapfrogging to Mobile Internet. Sony releases its first over-the-counter hearing aids. Apple Card users can soon sign up for a 'high-yield' savings account. Amazon's invisible asymptote. Uber rolls-out its ad business. Matching schools and teachers. Oops, we forgot to fix the supply chain. We’re hiring to keep up with demand for 35mm film.
We have scheduled the dates for 2022 for our “Strategic Blindspot course” . Our next course will be offered in Montreal on October 26-27, 2022. Registrations are now
Our future
Research to cool Earth by reflecting sunlight. Automated voice biomarkers. Ghost labels. Google reinvents the phone booth. Ocean forests. The Era of the Paywalled Restaurant. Maslins are coming back. With This Bionic Nose, COVID Survivors May Smell the Roses Again. Self-healing concrete. You’ve Heard of Ghost Kitchens. Meet the Ghost Franchises. Tech futurism's blind spot.
We keep you updated on those trends and more 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?
The porcelain challenge didn’t need to be real to get views. Will get reservations if you pay more. This blind woman piloted a small airplane across the country. Berlin’s 19th Century Gas Lanterns Go Dark. Yankee Candles started receiving loads of bad reviews due to the candles, having no scent. TikTok is raising the age requirement for hosting live streams and they’re launching adult-only live streams.
Numbers
662-the rate was 662.6 musculoskeletal disorder worker’s comp claims per 10,000 for full-time workers at Amazon warehouses.
89- Companies have loaded up a vast arsenal of apps, with the average company granting employees access to 89 different apps last year
1 bn - snow crab season canceled as officials investigate the disappearance of an estimated 1 billion crabs
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that lead me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors: “A rabbit hole is not a distraction. A rabbit hole is your brain trying to tell you to pay attention to something you’re curious about” ( by are.na)
This week, I discovered the Low Orbit Visualization.
On our radar
I am regularly teaching a class on social media reputation management for boards: as I am updating the content for a session next Monday in Toronto, I found these examples: Musk messages; Pyrogénèse habits ( in Fr.) and trolls; Will social media influencers affect the egg industry? Your Board Members' Social Media Skills Can Increase Your Organization's Power.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths
Machine Learning Highlights a Hidden Order in Scents. The Strange Quest to Crack the Voynich Code. Svante Pääbo and the Human Story. The ever-expanding job of preserving the internet’s backpages. My Trip to Space Filled Me With Sadness. The Disappearing Art Of Maintenance. Why brands are flocking to women’s sports. Why mirrors frighten us.
I like new words, this week I discovered:
Feeling good
New political parties emerging. Photomicrography Competition. Syrian Cassette Archives. Discover your next ride. A manhole collection. Stunning, Star-Filled Portrait of the Pillars of Creation.
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