I listen to a lot of podcasts and often find great nuggets of thought-provoking content in them. Posting them here on the blog will allow me to remember them and document what I learned. In the digital age of mass content consumption, my mind tends to filter out information really fast and I find myself forgetting things that were once really profound and impactful. I might be totally inspired by something and telling someone about it in conversation one week and then completely forget it the next. Hopefully this will help me catalog those thoughts a little better.
Chris and I listened to a great podcast on the drive to Sun Valley yesterday. Dave Asprey interviewed Peter Diamandis on his Bulletproof Radio podcast. (The Future is Faster Than You Think – Peter Diamandis : episode 655). He was plugging his new book The Future is Faster Than You Think. It appears to be somewhat of a continuation of his last book Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think, which I read (part of). I have read a couple of Diamandis's books and they are always so thought-provoking. He and Asprey talk about how fast the world is changing and how fast technology will advance things in the next couple decades. For example, he references all the work that Elon Musk (who happens to be his friend) has done to envision and advance the Space X mission. Then Diamandis points to a new startup that is taking a huge leap beyond Space X (thinking Bigger than Space X!) by designing the equivalent of a Space X, but now 3D printed. They have the world's largest 3D printing machines and are producing the parts for space vehicles.
Diamandis and Asprey continue discussing/hypothesizing what the world of the future will look like in many different areas. They discuss retail shopping, for example, and imagine a future world where AI and VR combine to create a completely different shopping experience from what we know today. Let's say I need a dress for a special occasion. I could spin up the VR equivalent to a shopping center, except everything and every store is completely customized for me. It's my size and exactly fit to my body shape, with a VR "model" of me to instantaneously model the dress and outfit for me. I could see what it looks like on me. I can see the clothes on the virtual "me" immediately and when I find what I like, "Voila!" It's printed via 3D printed and I have it the same day. And in deciding if I need any new shoes to match the dress, I can spin up a picture of everything already in my closet so I can see if it goes with any of my current shoes before deciding I need to buy a new pair. They argue that this could bring prices down substantially. Asprey further asserts that this may change our notion of "brand". 3D prints of clothing would presumedly be identical and perfect so clothing brands would have a harder time distinguishing themselves and potentially become less meaningful to us. (Asprey also mentions the importance of custom craftsman, true craftsman like tailors, in a world where things become more automated and less unique. This could create a great opportunity for true artists producing original pieces by hand).
I always appreciate Diamandis' optimism, enthusiasm, and spirit of abundance when he discusses the future. While it's easy to become fearful about the uncertainties of the future or assume that technology has a sinister side that can be manipulated by bad actors, Diamandis focuses on a future grounded in abundance. He believes we have (or will have) plenty of land, energy, and resources for the Earth's population and that technology advancements will solve current problems or gaps we have in resources. He also believes that the population will increase a bit more, then level off, then possibly decline; in contrast to the dire predictions we hear about the unsustainable population growth the world will experience that will ultimately outstrip resources.
It was an insightful podcast that got both Chris and I looking way farther into the future and imagining the possibilities. But the bigger take-away for both of us was that single, powerful word: abundance. Chris looked at me and said one of his goals for this next year is to be intentional about shifting his thinking to abundance. I agree with him 100%. I have a similar blind spot around abundance and want to make that a purposeful goal as well.
We all have blind spots and we often don't even see when we fall back into a fear-based scarcity mindset. Chris and I are a damn good team and I have a hunch we will start holding each other more accountable to having an abundant mindset. I'm really looking forward to seeing what 2020 and the next decade have in store for us. (And for Jan 28 when my pre-ordered The Future is Faster Than You Think book will arrive!)
