Welcome to this 46th 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.
Join us on Clubhouse to discuss how to interpret some of those trends and weak signals most Saturdays at 9 am EST (we’re on tomorrow).
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This is what I noticed this week, thank you for sharing this newsletter to those who look into the future.
Competitive and strategic Intelligence
AI and love. The guide to visual search (pdf). There Are Spying Eyes Everywhere—and Now They Share a Brain. A new era of transparent beckons. The best of Twitter lists. Calculate circle populations. Is Google search dying? If only it was that easy: a beta project that seeks to use AI to predict tech stocks. The US government's web traffic.
For those who need to master online competitive research We offer advanced search techniques courses online.
Strategic blindspots
Looking at the familiar with “alien eyes” allows you to unlock new business model opportunities while avoiding risks stemming from strategic blindspots.
Infant Formula Recipe Hasn’t Changed In Decades. Massive “coffeetech” investments. The retail “graveyard” for ultrafast delivery. Mental filtering: when we focus on negative details. Lonely Planet Buys Local Experts Site Elsewhere for Trip Planning. Art is an investable, financial asset. The power of water. Artificial intelligence challenges what it means to be creative (we discussed this during our last Clubhouse cheat last Saturday). Ditch that car. Uber and Lyft are taking on healthcare.
We have scheduled the dates for 2022 for our “Strategic Blindspots”course . Our next cohort which will take place in Montreal, Canada, on April 26-27, 2022. Registrations are open.
Our future
Breaking Down Fermentation Shaping The Alt Protein Industry. Disney plans Desert Community. AI generated faces are more trustworthy than real faces. Spin-launching satellites. Salesforce’s newest workplace: a 75-acre redwood forest with yoga and group cooking. Conscientious Urban Technology. Researchers Levitated a Small Tray Using Nothing but Light.
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?
Greeting Cards are Getting Longer. Rising popularity of VR headsets sparks 31% rise in insurance claims. LEGO has designed a set that can't be taken apart. A cell based chocolate maker. King mattresses made up 20.4% of mattress sales industrywide, up 1% from 2018. Handicrafts are hot. The stem player. Detailed Street Maps in Brussels (in French). Artists in the metaverse. Making a mess. NYC bill would ban grocery apps from advertising 15-minute delivery times.
Join us to discuss those trends and signals every Saturday at 9am EST on Clubhouse. We have a panel of futurists that illustrate what those signals might mean, and a fantastic group of curious minds in the room.
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 the analysis of the book Mine! and what property means. For the francophones, the analysis by 15Marches.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths …
Turbulence, the oldest unsolved problem in physics. Rust, the longest war. Flour Trip. Lindy effect. Measuring Culture and Cultural Fit. We need more maps. Why did handshakes become the go-to greeting in most parts of the world? Shop Class as Soulcraft. The Cultural Significance of Pop. Designing Olympic sports for the spectator. How many words does it take to make a mistake?
I have published this week a yearly review of the top 70 newsletters curious minds are reading in 2022.
Feeling Good
Walking Embla to school. ‘Paint Me a Picture’. Landing in the storm. The fantasy map. A beautiful movie about trees.
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Contact me at Competia with your feedback or ideas. Thank you for reading.