Unless you’re in Vegas for CES, most of us only have one foot in the office this week. Truth be told, I’m back on the road today headed to Minnesota for a retreat.
Having offered my list of 2023 predictions across multiple industries – and having come to terms with the fact that the recession will have a real impact on us all – I’m ready to build. It’s fun to think about the future because “seeing the invisible” is the first draft of creativity and manifestation. I couldn’t stop reading about AI over the break. I know that’s going to be a breakout theme this year.
As cultural anthropologists, our goal is to be nimble and strategic enough to react to what actually happens instead of moving entirely off “what could be.” Anticipation is an important part of intelligence, but the real goal is to move like Buffett: less time forecasting and more time finding undervalued securities. At 91, he’s still kicking!
This year is going to test our metals. I’m less focused on long-term marketing campaigns and more honed in on moving at the speed of culture. There are always tentpole moments that everyone needs to plan for, but in order to be efficient and shift culture using entertainment, I’m thinking in short, agile bursts this year.
When we come out of this downturn, great innovations will be birthed. Post ‘08 crash, paradigm-shifting businesses like Uber, Venmo, Airbnb, Pinterest, and Slack took advantage of the burgeoning technologies of the time. A similar tsunami will crest in 2023. The next great formats are coming. The next great art projects are coming. Timing is everything when it comes to innovation.
If you have the stomach for it, now is a fantastic time to start a company or to make a fresh start. There’s a lot of value available for the investors and builders that are plugged in and focused on thinking big but operating and executing on a small, efficient level.
Fortunes will be made in the down market and collected in the up market. That will be a key theme of 2023.
Also published on Medium.