Welcome to this 115th 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.
You can subscribe to this (roughly) bi-weekly newsletter here to get it directly by mail. This will be the last newsletter of 2023…
I have prepared this newsletter this week from MOntreal, Canada. This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Competitive Intelligence
Boeing wants to know who’s on your flight. The aerospace manufacturer filed a patent application for “occupancy tracking” using augmented reality. Chatbots could one day replace search engines. Here’s why that’s a terrible idea. Skytracking. YouTube Reverse Search Tool.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots. This section also is about the risks we miss.
TikTok is investing $1.5B in Indonesia’s GoTo Gojek Tokopedia to take over the company’s online shopping arm. Ikea branches out into the fitness space. TikTok life concerts. Dog Parents Are Embracing “Barkitecture” With Custom Pet Spaces.
Our future
We keep you updated on those trends and more on Twitter (which I still find infinitely better than Threads).
The end of the year is near. Which means it's time to run with our 2024 Trend Check to assess your future-readiness. Designing with disaster. Save it in DNA. House-flipping algorithms are coming to your neighborhood. Quantum-computing approach uses single molecules as qubits for first time. This new research hub wants to record your life history via your cells. Freshwater could run out by 2040.
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?
Fashion models in China are cutting prices to compete with AI. The New York Times created a new newsroom position this week — editorial director of artificial intelligence initiatives. We’re Living in a Golden Age of Pasta Tools. Google's Year in Search. Trends Time Capsule. Why scientists are making transparent wood. Fake belly buttons all the rage in China.
On our radar
I have not spoken for a while about the silver economy, products and services for an aging population. A recent question by Noémie to draft a list of weak signals I’ll follow in 2024 promoted me to revisit links I have spotted in that subject in the past few months: Our taste buds change as we age and there are surprisingly few products that are specifically made to take advantage of this fact. This makes Beck's 70+, a bitter beer specifically "made for advanced palates" a product that speaks to an underappreciated consumer segment. Pro-aging. Companies are trying a new family leave—for grandparents. Will Grandparenting Still Exist In The Future? Vieillir 2030: Des garderies pour seniors pour soulager l’économie.
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that led 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. Ignore algorithmic rabbit holes” ( by are.na)
This week, I stumbled upon Netflix’s report that Reveals Viewing Data For First Time Across Its Full Catalog. It is a mine of information and weak signals, some call it the “data bomb”.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths
Panda diplomacy as influence exerted based not on military strength but on cultural cache instead. Monocle released the results of their annual 2024 Soft Power Survey. The Hidden Powers of Everyday Ritual. Persuasive manoeuvers. What Happens in the Brain While Daydreaming?
Numbers
18- We raise 18 billion animals a year to die — and then we don’t even eat them
70%- Percentage of Presto Automation customer interactions that require human intervention.
Feeling good
How cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger became the scents of winter holidays. A beautiful map of winds. Plantarium.
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