Thinking futures in interesting times
As we navigate times of great uncertainty and people are worrisome about the future, we need to dedicate resources to think about the future in ways that help us envision possibilities and put people first. Here are some thoughts on how to get there.
FutureSketch: The conflict over the New Silk Road as an accelerator
FutureSketches by Visionary Labs are condensed reflections on the future based on current developments. They are intended as intellectual stimuli and as an invitation to conduct a deeper analysis, to examine your company’s future path and to derive broader scenarios. In our current FutureSketch, we look at possible developments in the global economy in the context of the New Silk Road.
Why postmodernism won’t get us into circular economy and what we can do about it
One of humanity’s biggest problems is getting a handle on the enormous consumption of resources. It is based on the legacy of the classical industrial revolution and an assumption error of postmodernism.
Mutuality, decentralization, and credit, 150 years ago
The dream to revolutionize finance via disintermediation and banking the unbanked might be in the news today. But the very ideas that drive our rethinking the basic concepts of credit, trust and governance are far from new.
A little supply chain disruption thought exercise
Let’s create a stylized but very common supply chain disruption example where a “single truth without single source” data architecture comes in handy.
A short history of innovation
A story about new combinations of old inputs and about getting things done, Austrian riding habits, VHS vs Beta, a bunch of brash young economics professors, the browser wars, the hangover after the dot com bust. And about dusting oneself off and starting over, this time a bit leaner.
Frankfurt: A story of path dependency
It’s funny how Frankfurt, which became Germany’s global banking center after World War II, carries this fact already in its name: the ford the Franks used to cross the Main (sic) river to trade with the Romans. The tribe they would eventually supplant as the dominating European power.
The hybrid future of work(spaces)
The office will shift from a place where everyone has to go to a place where everyone wants to go (for specific purposes).