Different generations, different needs, different possibilities

A few years ago, I was taking a motorboat licensing course. My group was diverse. There was a couple of Americans ending their professional career who had decided to change their lives and escape from the hustle and bustle of big cities and corporations to the Fiji Islands, and they needed a license to use their boat for daily trips. There was also a pair of teenagers who spent more time in marinas than on the college campus. There was an airline pilot and another couple, like my wife and I, who occasionally wanted to have the option of sailing alone or with a skipper during summer vacations. Before one of the stages, the instructor asked us very seriously whether we could read a map and use a compass or if we needed additional classes. Since this was an international license, and you probably know how big the differences are between, for example, Europe and America in navigation, we decided to take an additional course. We were greatly surprised when for several hours they explained to us how to input data into various Germin devices. They mentioned that sextants were used in the past and the course was calculated based on a map, but now it's pointless – because our license is only for units equipped with GPS navigation. I was even relieved because I remember that it's quite a lot of knowledge to master.

After passing the exams, including operating a radio station (SRC/VHF), we had a joint dinner on one of the boats. I was very bothered by the fact that we had come out so "uneducated". So, I decided to ask the participants how they felt about being reliant on new technology and how we would not be able to properly determine positions or navigation directions if something went wrong. A very dynamic conversation ensued. Everyone had their own story in mind that related to this event. From our couple from Fiji, we heard how they got lost in a national park in the western states and had to wait all night for a ranger. The pilot told a story about how once on a simulator all clocks except one were turned off and he still managed to fly. We also had our own anecdote about a power outage at home for several days and how difficult it was to get by. After an hour-long story, the boy from the pair of teenagers spoke up and brutally honestly declared that our fears are completely unfounded, because: we have permission to sail during the day, in good weather, and at a distance of 20 miles from the shoreline. So even if we wanted to, we would not get lost, because we would see the land. And what's more, we have a radio station so we can call for help if navigation fails. Yes. That was refreshing.

By 2030 in the world (so in 7 years!) more than 40% of all workers and customers will be people from the Millennials and GenZ generations. They will be the ones buying our products and using the services of our companies. Moreover, they will be the ones creating these products and services.

One of the most common mistakes when planning a digital transformation, and introducing modern technology, is thinking about how to improve what was there before. How to introduce modern technology in place of the classic one. Very often, the designers of "tomorrow" or the decision-makers of its introduction are people who do not use this technology on a daily basis or do not understand how to use it. Therefore, they ask this type of question and focus on solving problems where there are none. At this point, I must stress that I am not trivializing the risks that new technologies introduce (as I have often written about), but about the functional aspect of the solution and its environment.

Very often, with the introduction of new technology, we cannibalize the habits of our customers and stop making money on what we used to earn. The conclusion is that instead of fearing this, we should consider how to make money in a new way. There are countless examples of switching to self-service instead of approaching staff or introducing new services like storage or posts at gas stations or residential buildings. Looking through the prism of what we know and use and not through the prism of the needs of new masses of customers can lead us not only to lose the market but also lose the position of leader in this market. Often after a few years, it turns out that the missed opportunity is used by others who were not at all brave, they were open to change and expectations of new generations of customers.

New technologies such as generative AI are entering our everyday life. They are already coming in. But their real power and how they change our world will be noticeable in five or ten years. Jim Rohn aptly put it, "Usually people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years." After all, this statement is so true that it is attributed to numerous great people in this world.