Welcome to this 42nd 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 Saturday at 9 am EST (we’re on tomorrow).
Thank you to those who mentioned this newsletter in their blogs...: this week, I tracked
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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 Intelligence
Save, organize, and access the tweets for your news review.
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.
Why One Gen Z-Led Retailer is Limiting Orders Per Customer. Are You Sure You Know What a Photograph Is (from the Greek words “drawing with light”). The removal of rigid industries. Creating Children's Content Is the Secret Goldmine of 2022. 70% of virtual store visitors purchase items. Only 17% of Gen Z-ers say a credit card is their preferred payment method. Ghost-kitchen experiment is growing out of a Vancouver parking empire.
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
Four scenarios for homes in the future. A fantastic list of upcoming Foodtech innovation from the VC industry. Connected clothes and skin patches. Fast Grocery Delivery Can’t Make Fast Money. Now You Can Rent a Robot Worker. Nootropics’ legalization. Hypnotic dining and other experiential food trends. The format of retail stores is changing (pdf). A family club and nursery for remote working parents. How are kids brands meeting the demands of millennial parents? Top 10 automotive trends of 2022.
Rohit at Strange Loop Canon explored how salaried jobs may eventually become an anachronism
Right now the only folks who can do that are CEOs, already successful dilettantes, or self-employed consultants. But once you are no longer geographically bound, you can focus on doing a lot more of your intellectual work in a way that you enjoy.
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?
Does mayo need a purpose? Sigma males. Influencers are Squid Game star Hoyeon Jung is the face of Chanel’s new anti-aging line. The 24/24 store. Buy now, pay later. Museum of contemporary emotions. China to create international consumption centers across five major Chinese cities. Use Snapchat’s new Catalog-Powered Shopping Lens. You will be able to downvote tweets. Aldi starts using facial age estimation tech to sell alcohol in new no-checkout supermarket. Fake Art Collectors Used Instagram to Boost a Fictional Artist. Your doctor is on TikTok.
Join us to discuss those trends and signals every Saturday at 9am EST on Clubhouse ( we start back on January 8). We have a panel of futurists that illustrate what those signals might mean, and a fantastic group of curious minds in the room.
On our radar
I am looking at an opportunity to join a new board, and this has led me to look at how marketing is shaping up for direct-to-consumer brands, particularly in the food industry: The Vibe Economy. Communities that are driving the concept of ‘brand’ as something more fluid. 12 Alt Protein Trends To Watch.
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 predictions for 2050- plan enough time, this page leads you to many resources. I also liked My 2021 End of Year Lists by Barack Obama.
Hodgepodge discovery
Articles for curious minds and the polymaths …
Who Keeps Track of All the Craters on the Moon? Managing to-dos. We are less empathetic now. The Sitka Spruce. About matchbooks. Deleting your digital footprint. Burning plasma. A History of the Hardware Store and this quote for all the weak signal hunters:
“The hardware store golds (and organizes) the tools, values and knowledge that bind community and define a worldview”
I have published this week a yearly review of the top 70 newsletters curious minds are reading in 2022.
Feeling Good
Maps of Switzerland. Constellations ( for our Quebec friends). A list of audiobooks on Youtube. The photos from inside musical instruments. The store of lost luggage (fascinating peeping into the weak signals of unclaimed bag of the month). Art forward stock photos. Lighthouses.
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Contact me at Competia with your feedback or ideas. Thank you for reading.