Heading for a Different World

I'm sure that my feelings are much like many of you - I swing between feelings of happiness and hope into this abyss of dispair and uncertainty, it's very much a rollercoaster of emotions.

As a Founder CEO I suppose I should be used to rollercoasters, and I am. But none have had the velocity and pace and scope of recent times. We as founders get used to processing information, thats our job, to process, organise, and plan. But its so hard to do right now.

Luckily I dont have to battle a closed business, or even a downturn in business, we have ridden the rough seas and are out in calmer waters where currently things look good. Its nice to get back to thinking about growth and hiring, but it also makes you realise you need to work leaner, smarter, faster in these times. I also have to think about the impact on my family, my staff, my company, and the society around me close and far. I think especially because I've been in the eCommerce space for 12 years now and have travelled around the world to conferences and on personal visits, well I see a new world, and I wonder the impact. I'll share some thoughts here, kind of random, but I think it's good to document, and maybe I'm wrong, time will tell.

There is nothing crazy in this article, no stats, just me.

Physical Retail - Small

I live in Austin, TX, I'm actually about 30 mins from downtown so further out in the hill country, so see that side to. My observation has been that for the small stores we if anything are supporting them more. We realise that pizza restaurant down the road that we drove past every day - well they have staff, a livelihood, and we want them to stay there. So I believe people are supporting these where they can, the restaurants here are offering curbside pickup in most cases, and the food trucks if anything on the side of the road seem busier than ever.

Its great, this is how life should be. I've given a few talks on the likes of Amazon and the need to support your local community - I read an article a while back on the rise of Walmart and the severe impact that had on small town America - I don't want that.

Clearly we have some severe problems in physical retail. Many places around the world are closed, and will remain closed. It's hibernation time. My view is that these businesses literally do need to hibernate, keep down their costs and just survive. If they can evolve and invent themselves online, or push up that channel now is the time to focus.

Once small retail opens its my believe local society will protect you more than ever. They won't take you for granted, they will look into your eyes and truly say thank you for being there. Your battle will be your communities battle. And thats going to be a much nicer world to live in.

Physical Retail - Large

This is tough. We know that malls and the big box retailers in some cases were really struggling, esp here in the states. If I look abroad there are many examples of physical retail working well. Honestly I feel it needs a reinvention here in the US and maybe this is a necessary catalyst. We need to move to it being about the experience we have, we want our kids whether small or big to say 'Mom can we goto the mall today, I really want to go do xyz'. Its just how it is. There are so many great performers in this world, so much out there that is interesting, like dance, the arts, jugglers, interactive exhibitions. Somehow these need to be mixed with the shopping experience. We need sporting events inside the mall, then the pop ups around to serve us, we want theatre, we shouldnt' have to goto Disney to experience such things, bring it to our malls.

This is the chance of a generation. Someone who is a big thinker needs to grab it. Westfield Malls need to realise now is the time to re-invent. Do it now, dont dither, think for the future.

Being Unique

There is nothing more important than unique. When I was a kid in the 80s it was all about fitting in, unique was not celebrated. It was all about being the same. Yet now in this world of instagram, of personalisation, and of experience, unique is where we are.

Thats hard to do at home. We all use Zoom it seems, and we arent going on exotic holidays right now, our experiences are lower.

When we get out of this I think people will relish unique more than ever. We will celebrate our differences much more, and be a more tolerant society. At least that is my hope.

Amazon

Look I'm not a fan of Amazon. I think it threatens to take the soul out of us. I want to spread my cash around the many, not just feed the few (or the one in Bezos). I get Amazon and its usefulness, my husband uses it and I constantly berated him to try to shop local.

I think with their move to longer delivery timeframes thats had a massive impact, and made people look online elsewhere. We have got used to safari and even without PWA apps we are now shopping on mobile on sites with much more frequency is my guess. We have learned to adapt, and adapt well.

We get how money works, and understand the fabric of our society much more than ever. We wave at the FedEx driver, we thank the UPS driver for delivering our parcel - we want these people, we don't want automation everywhere - we are a society crave human interaction, and a personal approach. Its my view as we move forwards we will reject the automation of shops like Amazon and will like nothing more than a visit to our local small grocer - something that in the UK is much easier to do.

Technology

I have a degree in Computer Science. But I'm no theorist. I remember saying at a very young age to a guy in a shop I was talking to (maybe 30+ years ago) that the computer was an aide, its not the sum total. It has to help us and if it doesnt its not useful.

For our parents the TV was the revolution. I go round my dads and he always has on in the background. Its the novelty in a way, he got used to it. We are like that with phones.

Our kids, well I think because they have grown up with it they wont be as addicted in a way. I can def believe they will have a diff addiction though, and its not clear cut. But I hope with the events in recent times we can all appreciate technology is an aide to life, its not life itself. For someone that works crazy hours each week and is often glued to my laptop thats saying a lot. I need to realise when to walk away, and why thats more important than chasing the next theoretical goal. Ambition will change. It did after 9/11 and I feel it will again. Whats really important?

Travel

I have no forecasts here, but its going to be tough. I hope we get back to where we were, and I think when we do get somewhere near normal people will open their eyes more and appreciate this world we live in. It wont be a rush to the monument to get that pic for Instagram. We will put down that phone and take it in. We will look around and breathe and smell that environment so much more than before.

Many years ago a friend told me to shut my eyes and open like the click of a camera. Just to stop. I've used this tactic many times. And now I'm grateful for all those pauses, and those memories. I'm a lucky one, I've seen a lot already. I hope you get to see so much more of this beautiful world we live in. But responsibly, with an eye to our impact on the planet. Let's not go back to chaos, lets moderate it and respect just what we have.

Events

Its hard to see when the conferences will open up again. And our appetite for them. Vegas seems a long way off. If we could flick a switch and just be over this I think events would explode, and we would hug people like never before. Well I would anyhow. And I'd prob drink more, and dance more, sleep less, maybe even gamble a little ;)

Opportunity

I honestly find it hard to think about opportunity in these times. Its time to be human.

But for those of you that are seeking opportunity, its definitely around us for the lucky few. You need to think differently, and be prepared to break down walls. You need to re-imagine the world and then work out how to capitalise on it. There are many ways we can change the status quo at this time. Just please don't get greedy, and don't get selfish. Work to make a better world, one you want your kids to live in.

Life

I just hope we become better people. I hope we say hallo on the train, we appreciate charities more (I think we already are), and understand our place in the hierarchy. I've certainly learned that as a person in tech I'm way down the scale. I remember when I had my kids I was on private health insurance in the UK and they were rolling out the red carpet - I told them to stop, what I did was inconsequential - and it is.

When this is over there will be a big party. We are already working out our allies, and those that mean less to us. I want to be around people that resonate with my core values, I'm not here to get rich, I'm here to make a small difference however I can and have some purpose. My hope is that I can spend the rest of my life with the people I care about, and the friends that have some of those same goals.