The world of 2035 needs the future's solutions today

"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." - Henry Ford

The World of 2035 - Part 2

I believe that changes in economics, technology and social needs are already influencing society and political ideologies. Today we live in a world of 8.0B people, four times what it was 100 years ago. The pressure to feed, shelter and cloth society will be a major problem for economies and the environment to say the least. By 2035 wars, the environment, technology, automation, trade issues and territorial claims over other countries will remain a serious problem for our world. Unresolved they will create economic and geopolitical issues. But even as we believe that the next generation will do a better job, it seems that ideological brainwashing is another problem. We need to plant the seeds today for there to be a better tomorrow.

The 2030's next market crash

I know you think I am predicting stock market movements. No! I am actually stating the obvious. Somewhere in the next 13 years or shortly there after, like the dot-com crash of 2000 or the crypto currency crash of 2018. There will be a Metaverse market crash. Now if you think this outlandish people are smarter than that. Well actually in 2013 when Twitter was launching their public offering. A little known company called Tweeter, trading at a ridiculous low price like $0.0008 per share, sky rocketed days before Twitter went public. The stock was mistaken for Twitter. Investors rushed in to buy the stock, it took a few hours but the error was discovered that it wasn't Twitter, and trading was halted. But not before people lost money! Perhaps a mistake you say! What about meme stocks that deserve no investment, we’re propped up by social media to send stocks to highs they never had even as viable companies! No still not convinced? I offer the 1637 Tulip Mania Bubble as the first recorded frenetic investment. Read this As for a crash there will be one, with many chasing companies that never make the big time or money and the bottom will fall out. Why does this happen? Because we humans want to be successful and we all tend to follow the frenzy. Following the frenzy is not investing it is gambling. I believe it was Mark Twain who said “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”

Consumer debt addiction

You want to buy those pair of $700 shoes right now, they fit great and you feel great. No problem we have easy payment plans for that. How about new tablet, computer, vacation or even your wedding. There is a payment plan for those as well. What happens when discretionary spending is fuelled by debt? Today's debt to disposable income is sitting at 186% read more by the way this means that for every dollar of disposable income we owed $1.86! Where could this go by 2035 and what does it mean for the retail sector? First of all major cities are much higher. The problem is that debt curbs spending and many households in this situation could face significant challenges within the next 13 years, which means, a potentially different market shakedown for financial institutions and consumers. Many retailers will have jumped on the buy now pay later bandwagon but that gravy train will run dry. Because by 2035 the debt to disposable income ratio can by higher by 20-30% and even higher when factoring inflation into it.

The Metaverse of things

The first coined phrase was the "internet of things". The metaverse is the next version of the internet with 3D Web capabilities. Now of course many of us, or at least myself, would prefer the world of Star Trek and a holographic room where we get to live out a character in a holo-novel or just get away on a vacation with nice non-threatening or critical holo-people. I have worn a virtual reality headset and I must admit its interesting but hardly real for me. Nevertheless, technology will continue to evolve, however as it does, its applications to businesses and services will increase. In a recent presentation to a number of doctors, I said, that the Metaverse will be a more important innovation than the smartphone. There are a host of businesses and services that will be dramatically changed by this new channel. By 2035 everything from healthcare, legal, banking, investing, vacations, selling physical real estate, retailing, and other services. More importantly, it will be more convenient and transactions will happen faster and be more thorough. Of course we cannot forget about the workplace. Today companies are concerned about the lack of collaboration because workers don't want to return to the office. With the metaverse that will not matter as much, collaboration can happen from anywhere. The risk to companies will be like the one the retail industry faced, one of ignorance. At the end of the day the human journey with technology in 2035 will remain to be one of convenience, improved personal and business productivity and speed in transactions, and the ability to impact with your business strategies.

Recycled clothing versus sustainable fashion. A new class war?

In this new world, where it's vogue for some to wear recycled and resold clothing it won't be for everyone. Divisiveness is growing in the western world and it is segregating society between those who believe in environmental risks and those that don't. And it will divide those that can afford new and or sustainably made clothing and those who can't? Or wish to do the right thing and save the planet. The question isn't to challenge the merits of recycling. The question is, will those consumers who can afford new and sustainably made differ from those who socially care and choose to wear recycled clothing, potentially launching a new class war? And does the pressure to be current, buy new and fashionable ever go away? The idea that you can get away with used and resold just won't make the grade for many who are in the fashion world for a profit. Society being as it is globally will not easily pass up the desire to be current in fashion either. However sustainable clothing costs a lot more for one item. The reality is that the environment and human consumption are intertwined, perhaps the secret to sustainability is to change the fashion message and what is fashionable. Fashion houses and brands may have very strong and opposing views on this and as such some are recycling their own products to play the part. To buy sustainably made clothing costs more, and if it's a fashion brand it could cost three-four times as much as other sustainably made clothing. With the goal for all to buy better made and buy less. That goes against the grain of retailing in many ways. To understand the issues related to recycling and a circular textile world read this, in fact, the challenge is the textile industry and it is predicted that by 2030 emissions will grow from 8% to over 40% Read this. What's the best thing that could happen by 2035? Obsolescence and continuous buying of clothing that we never wear after a few weeks becomes unpopular.

Human to human: Helping a friend who is helping fight kids cancer.

David Pulla is a LinkedIn connection, one of many people I have helped with questions about managing a career. He has a hobby and it is cycling but he does it to help fight kids cancer as well. A very noble cause. Read this and if you can help get the message out or support David all efforts will be welcomed. If you have a cause that you would like help with reach out to me.

Repairing a damaged democracy

In this newsletter, I have written many times about the issues with politics and their impact on society, the environment, businesses and the economy. Today I want to touch on voter apathy. It is not a passing thing, it is a very real problem in the western world. Less and less people believe that their vote matters and that government is so intertwined with bureaucracy that they have no means to bring about the right future and changes. It's not difficult to understand why people feel that way. Economic and social divides have created distrust and hate towards any political system for many years. Especially when political leaders fall into the trappings of bureaucracy and simply lose sight of serving the people who voted them in. Democracy is fragile and it needs to be repaired. This will be one of the greatest challenges for western countries as we enter the 2030's. At the core are misguided political beliefs and politicians that are currently creating havoc and giving way to potentially damaging democracy further. Which by the way should make global foes very happy. I don't blame bureaucracy but we should start with the goal to reinvent bureaucracy. First it must keep up with a changing world, innovation and the needs of tax payers. Second, bureaucracy is a service to support democracy. Unfortunately it appears to be the latter for voters, and itself stuck on self-preservation mode. Who else is to blame, lobby groups and organized donations to candidates and political parties? Party politics is not about voters, it is about power. Voters don't believe change is possible for that reason and they don't vote. Therefore, democracy will be further damaged by serving only an exclusive group and because of that, bureaucracy remains the same unchanged, outdated and unable to better serve society as it should. It has stalled even though many within bureaucratic systems would welcome real progress with workable technology to expedite and process the needs of tax payers. I was once asked to describe how I saw modern day communism in China, because I lived there. My reply was imagine our democratic process being ripped away as a right, and bureaucracy taking over and telling us what's best. If you don't like that, get out and vote!

Personal Log: Humanities future legacy is the environment and the preservation of society.

I had a discussion with someone last week about corporate leadership and social responsibility. It was fundamentally a dead end conversation. This individual was bent on profit and exploitation when you listen to them. When I brought up the conversation about a responsibility to society, the environment etc. Those issues were deemed to be in the way of progress. This person blames liberal governments for the end of a prosperous and outdated economy. When I mentioned that all auto makers have left the barn with electric vehicles they told me that it will never happen and they will go back to how it was once new leaders takeover and bring back oil as the centre of our economic models. Clearly, this one individual that I will not do business with again. The majority of sophisticated business people I meet do not hold the same views. They see it as an era that is diminishing. There is no question that our future lies in our legacy to protect the environment and society. Not to destroy and manipulate.

Thank you for reading!

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