PinnedA Primer for the 21st Century: The 5 Systemic ChangesThis article presents my thinking and writing over the last three years. I present some fundamental concepts in science, innovation and technology in order to better explain the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the social, political and economic consequences. The anticipated scale of the changes is unequaled in human history…Complexity83 min read
PinnedAre We on the Edge of Chaos? Part III — Education“The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them”. Albert Einstein I have been writing a series of articles, “Are We on the Edge of Chaos”[1][2]. The last article dealt with how power is shifting to city governments and their…Education16 min read
Jun 15Three Industries that Should Be Disrupted in the 21st CenturyThree Industries that Should Be Disrupted in the 21st Century Joseph Schumpeter probably deserves the credit for introducing the concept of innovation (“creative destruction”) into economics. Clayton Christensen, the renowned HBS professor, popularized the term “disruptive innovation” and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs turned that term into an international mantra. Much of…Regulation5 min read
May 31The Medieval Institutions Need to Change“However, there is another kind of power, one that is more appropriate for the new paradigm — power as empowerment of others. The ideal structure for exerting this kind of power is not the hierarchy but the network, the central metaphor of the ecological paradigm. …Government12 min read
Apr 25What Evolution Teaches Us About How to Live Your Life.“This goes to the core of making decisions under uncertainty. That’s what I want you to think [about]. And once you see it that way, the world is always going to look like options [in] everything.”[1] — Robert Merton, Nobel Laureate I recently read an article on Farnam Street about…Evolution5 min read
Jul 6, 2021An Essay on the Future — Regulation, the Economy and the Environment“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” Plato I recently came across an article I wrote in 2012, “How to Survive the End of the Industrial Age”. I was surprised at how good a forecast of the future I made. It made me start to think and I…Environment7 min read
May 17, 2021Culture, Learning and Living“Life’s essence should always be clearly noticeable behind the love, or the music, or the work.” Walter Heisenberg For the last five years I have been studying quantum mechanics, complexity theory and information theory. I have not fully mastered any of these subjects, but recently I noticed that I can…Culture6 min read
May 3, 2021Data Utilities — The Business Model Built for Speed“[Jay] Forrester’s insightful observation that organizational structures and governance need to change in order to meet rapidly changing technologies and social needs is as relevant today as it was in 1965.”[1] Georgianna Bishop, Director Human Resources Development, Environmental Protection Agency 1995 This article discusses a new business model, the Data…Data Science7 min read
Mar 31, 2021Are We on the Edge of Chaos? Part II — Government“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present,” — Albert Camus Earlier this year I wrote a Medium article, “Are We On The Edge Of Chaos?”. I concluded the article: “In my opinion, the edge of chaos signals a phase transition to a world…9 min read
Mar 1, 20217 Ways to Think about Product RoadmapPeople frequently ask me to develop talks, workshops, courses or even a degree. For research, my first reaction is to go to my 14,000+ articles in Evernote. If Evernote fails me, which recently happened, I might search Harvard Business Review, Wikipedia, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy or Investopedia. …Product Roadmap7 min read