Welcome to this 75th 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 Lucern, Switzerland. This is what I noticed these past couple of weeks, thank you for sharing this newsletter with those who look into the future.
Estelle.
Social media intelligence
Google new features. Substack’s new RSS reader. A very simple tool that allows you to select a geolocation/radius and get a list of recent tweets made in that place. Opensource Python library for scraping tweets. Twitter account investigation. Unlisted Youtube videos. Find people in Linkedin without registration. Getting a list of all comments by a Reddit user with a certain name.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots.
Why are products for older people so ugly? Selling Electric Vehicle ‘Subscriptions’. Steel and aluminum decided World War II. Chips will decide whatever comes next. Visualizing the Rise of Global Economic Uncertainty. The 2020s will be a marquee decade for B2B marketplaces. The Next Big Battle Between Google and Apple Is for the Soul of Your Car. Medecine is falling from the sky. Co-living for single parents. When Tupperware changed channels.
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 open.
Our future
Beyond Dystopia. Biomaterials are coming. It’s too expensive for many to buy a home on their own… so they’re teaming up with other prospective buyers. A new wave of deathcare. How Norway’s central bank is trying out its own digital currency. The futurist equation. AI model can detect Parkinson’s from breathing patterns. It’s time to embrace the tech that could confront the crisis in aging. Seven Data-Backed Predictions for the Future of Marketing. 20 Predictions for the Music Business in 10 Years
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?
Why Do Watch Collectors Love Snoopy So Much? The CIA invested in Mammoth resurrection . Bus drivers in Beijing have been told they must wear wristbands that track their emotional and attention states. Inflation is keeping people single. Happy meals for adults. Bizarre Bluetooth mouthpiece mutes speech in public places. Would You Swim with a Robot Dolphin? The growing popularity of sleep tourism.
Numbers
26- 26% of Amazon Rainforest Is at Tipping Point
47- Land is now 47% of US home values: Up from 38% in 2012, and 20% in the 1960's.
Down the rabbit hole
This section highlights a subject that lead me to many useful threads, or a single site, that opened many doors.
This week, I went down the rabbit hole into airline boarding music.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths
What the Queen’s death tells us about the science of queues. Keeping track of hurricanes with super computers. What are quantum-resistant algorithms—and why do we need them? Why should a composer need sight more than hearing? The lifetime value formula. Gardens Need Walls: On Boundaries, Ritual, and Beauty.
I like new words, this week I discovered: spoonies.
Feeling good
The solar protocol network. Supermaneuverability. Estimating one minute. A $25M luxury superyacht that can also dive 650 feet.
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And do not miss the next issue:
Revisit: around this time last year, I published issue 30.
Thanks for reading Weak signals and other trends!
Contact me at Competia with your feedback or ideas. Thank you for reading.