 |
|
|
|||||
Nick Foster is not a fan of how Silicon Valley imagines the future. As a designer and writer who has spent his career at places like Google, Nokia, and Sony, hes had a front-row seat to the tech worlds relentless obsession with turning science fiction into science fact. The problem, he argues, is that the source material was never meant to be a manual for reality. The primary function of science fiction is to explore ideas and to entertain. It shouldnt be considered a brief, Foster tells me. He worries when he hears people in meetings say, We should make the thing from Minority Report. To him, its a lazy shortcutan idea taken from a cinematic universe built for drama, not for pragmatic, human-centered utility. Theyre sort of misreading the function of that art form, he says. Theyre just trying to make something happen because theyre excited by it, not necessarily because its better or more pragmatic or more useful. Foster, the author of Could Should Might Dont: How We Think About the Future, has a more than a few thoughts on what does make for good futurism. What Im trying to do…is not create a method or a framework. Weve got enough of those, he explains. Instead, he offers a simple yet powerful vocabulary to dissect the ways we approach the future, arguing that humans tend to fall into one of four modes of thinking, often without realizing it. To break free of the Silicon Valley narrative, he says, requires changing the way we think about the future of technology. Four modes of futurism Foster’s first mode of futurism is Could futurism. This is the one we know best. Its the futurism of opportunity, of amazing gadgets, humanoid robots, and breathtaking architecture. Its the world of flashy tech demos, driven by a modernist belief in endless progress. Its weakness, however, is that it has been absolutely co-opted by science fiction, creating dazzling but ultimately alienating visions that feel disconnected from our lives and the messy path to get there. [Cover Image: MacMillan] Then comes Should futurism. This is the future as a fixed destination. Its the world of master plans, and of religions and laws that point us toward a desired state. Its also the world of corporate strategists and their algorithmic projectionsthe confident dotted lines on charts that declare whats coming. The obvious flaw, Foster says, is its brittleness. The world is way more volatile than we think it is, he warns. All of our algorithmic projections and our dotted lines on charts are just stories. And often were way off. As a reaction, Might futurism offers the opposite: a future of infinite scenarios. This is the domain of strategic foresight consultants, born from Cold War-era wargaming at the RAND Corporation. Its a pluralistic view that maps out every possibility within a futures cone. But it has a fatal flaw. Our imagination about future scenarios is actually based on the past, Foster notes. This is why companies like Blockbuster could run countless scenarios and still never imagine a future where they werent dominantuntil it happened. Finally, there is Dont futurism, a mode that is gaining momentum in our anxious times. This is the future as a terrifying place to be avoided, the focus of protest movements campaigning against climate catastrophe, authoritarianism, or runaway AI. It is the future as a warning. While essential, its challenge is that it often protests from the outside and struggles to offer integrated, actionable paths forward. Its quite difficult to deliver a dont in a helpful way, Foster says, noting it can become strident and divisive. The China contrast The Wests default mode of futurism, Foster argues, is an unbalanced mix of these mindsets. But the tech industry, in particular, is overwhelmingly biased toward could futurism, driven by the commercial need to generate excitement and create market trends. Silicon Valley is blinded by sci-fi dreams, and its attitude towards the future gets worsened by Wall Street demand for growth. This stands in stark contrast to China’s approach, a country that understands future planning in a way the West cannot. Beijing just concluded the Chinese Communist Partys fourth plenary session in October, during which they outlined a 2026-2030 five-year plan, the next-to-last chapter in their decades-long overarching plan to become a leading superpower by 2035. Foster points out that while Western democracies are trapped in short cycles”its the midterms and then its the quarterly results and then its the next election”Chinas autocratic system allows it to plan on a generational scale. In a sort of autocratic dictatorship where you sort of have a dynastic leadership, you can start to think at 10, 15, 20, 30 generational scales, he observes. While acknowledging the immense human and societal cost, Foster identifies Chinas strategy as a powerful, real-world example of should futurism. The government establishes a clear destination for the country and then commits all its resources to reaching it. This gives them a stability that the West lacks. Quoting William Gibson, Foster notes you need a solid place to stand to imagine the future. China dont seem to have that problem, he tells me. Theyre very comfortable with where they want to be. And they seem to be working very hard to get there. In our conversation, Foster didn’t offer a way for the West to achieve what China is already doing. In his book, his proposed solution to fixing our vision of the future is a cultural and intellectual one, aimed at leaders within organizations, especially in technology. He believes the crucial shift is for leaders to start communicating in a more balanced way, using all four modes of his framework. He wants to see leaders who can discuss opportunity (the could), articulate a clear mission (the should), admit uncertainty (the might), and acknowledge fears and risks (the don’t). There’s no magic tricks or shortcuts. Fostering a more responsible, rigorous, and honest conversation about the future is the necessary first step toward makin better long-term decisions, regardless of the political system. To me, it seems like an impossible shift. If Western societies rarely look beyond the next quarter in the political, enterprise, and financial world; if a large number of people are living paycheck to paycheck; if even most of the entertainment and design is ephemeral and single use, how can we be balanced or really think about the future beyond what’s going to happen in the next few months? Could we have an honest future, please? Foster argues that the power of his approach is not in choosing one of these modes, but in learning to think with all of them simultaneously. He believes we need the optimism of could, the direction of should, the preparedness of might, and the caution of dont. Foster champions a concept he calls The Future Mundane. Its an antidote to the escapist fantasies of could futurism, which has been a cancer for both our future and present. Foster argues we should be grounding our visions in the messy, complex, and often boring reality of everyday life. Even the most transformative technologies, from GPS to AI, eventually become normalized and part of the mundane fabric of our lives. Hes less interested in the initial wow moment of a new technology and more in what happens next. I want to try and figure out what it all means, what it actually leads to and how it changes how somebody might walk the dog or go and buy milk or go on vacation, he tells me. This focus on the ordinary, he argues, grounds conversations about the future in a way that is not only more honest but ultimately more productive. In his book, Foster says that the value of this “Future Mundane” approach is that it forces creators to look past the initial “inspirational sugar rush” of a new idea and confront the messy, real-world consequences of its existence. By thinking about how a technology will actually integrate into the boring parts of daily lifehow it will be used, misused, repaired, and eventually become obsoletewe can build more responsible and realistic products. It grounds the conversation in a way that helps us “ride out that hysteria” of the initial hype cycle and “figure out what it all means.” Thinking about the future isnt about predicting what will happen in 2030; its an act of “pure human responsibility to our species” to consider the long-term effects of what we are building today. Foster says that companies tend to get trapped in the emotional extremes of the technology’s hype cycle. When a new technology like AI emerges, companies and their leaders tend to react in one of two “hysterical and a little unbalanced” ways. They either get swept up in the breathless optimism of could futurism (“Wow, it can do all these things”), or they become paralyzed by the fear and anxiety of don’t futurism. Foster writes that the “incessant pressure to find clients, balance the books, chase sales… and deliver results utterly dominates day-to-day affairs,” pushes any serious futurism work to the fringes where it is often seen as a “vanity” exercise rather than an integral part of the strategy. This polarization and short-term focus prevents companies from having the kind of rigorous, multifaceted conversation that leads to sustainable innovation. He doesn’t point to any company that does this right, however. My personal impression, from what I read and see every day as a journalist, is that there are not a lot of companies that think within the framework that Foster proposes. This is especially true in our current AI craze, where leading companies push the narrative that they are about honesty, responsibility, balance, and ethics. In reality, for the vast majority of companies, those are bullet points in a Powerpoint slide. Smoke and mirrors. All talk and no walk while they all are focused on the could, gunning to become the next unicorn, the next Wall Street darling. Perhaps I’m a cynic, but Foster believes that this may be an opportunity for those companies who actually want to practice a balanced, honest look at designing the future. For him, that is the path for lasting success: The company that delivers that kind of story, I think will be the company that succeeds because it addresses all of the key motivators we have about the future.
Category:
E-Commerce
The current king of social media is the short-form video platform TikTok. It’s where trends are forged, news is broken, and opinions spread. Owned by China’s ByteDance, the app has an estimated 1.99 billion users33% fewer than Facebooks three billionand yet Meta is desperately trying to mimic TikToks features in its apps (particularly Instagram). But despite its popularity, TikTok has been under siege in 2025. It is facing the threat of a U.S. ban, which would jeopardize the livelihoods of millions of Americans who rely on the app to earn a living. And even if it survives, by transferring its assets to U.S.-owned interests, TikToks U.S. algorithm could change under new owners, which could make their content less discoverable. A growing number of concerned TikTok users are starting to take precautions, gravitating toward a small but expanding short-form video platform called Skylight. Heres why. What is Skylight? Skylight Social, better known as Skylight, is a baby in the social media world. It didnt exist until earlier this year, after TikTok was briefly taken offline in the United States ahead of the government ban. The platform, which is currently accessible through dedicated Skylight iOS and Android apps, went live in April. It is the brainchild of a two-person team, CEO Tori White and CTO Reed Harmeyer. But it also has a big-name backer behind it: Mark Cuban. While on the surface, Skylight looks a lot like TikTok, with a scrollable feed of full-screen short-form videos you can like and comment on, it also has a significant difference. Skylight is built on the Authenticated Transfer Protocol, or AT Protocol for short. This is the same protocol that X competitor Bluesky is built upon. That upstart social media network now has more than 39 million users. The advantage of the AT Protocol versus TikToks protocol (and the protocols of other social media companies like Meta) is that the AT Protocol is decentralized. This means that the platforms that use the AT Protocol dont hold power over the content you create; it is not tied to one companys servers. If the AT Protocol platform youre using shuts down or just no longer works for your needs, you can take all of your content and followers to another platform. As TechCrunch reported in April, in the face of a TikTok ban early this year, Cuban put out the call for someone to develop a TikTok competitor based on the AT Protocol. Harmeyer and White, the latter of whom had a following on TikTok and was worried about losing her community if the app were banned, decided to answer it. The two big benefits Skylight has over TikTok Skylight has two primary advantages over TikTok. Since its based on the AT Protocol, Skylight is a decentralized social media platform. That means your content and followers arent locked into the platform. Youre free to move all your videos and community to another AT Protocol short-form video app any time you want. This decentralization also makes Skylight fairly ban-proof. Any government can pretty easily block any social media network it desires because all major social media platforms are closed, centralized networks. But since decentralized platforms arent tied to any one app, even if an app itself is banned, a creator can simply take all their content, including likes, followers, and comments, to another platform and continue posting as usual. Indeed, the main marketing pitch Skylight uses on its website is touting the platform as unbannable, which, due to the flexibility of the decentralized AT Protocol, is a reasonable claim to make. But Skylight has another benefit. In August, the platform was updated with human-curated feeds. This differs from the algorithmically curated feeds used by major social media networks. Algorithmic curation is notoriously opaque, and, as DigiDay has noted, when it comes to TikTok, many existing users fear that its proposed new U.S. owners may change the existing algorithm to be friendlier to videos that align with their goals or ideology. Last month, CNN reported that TikTok’s new U.S. owners will include a consortium that will be comprised of Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake, and that this consortium will be operated by a majority-U.S. board, including a member appointed by the Trump administration. With Skylights focus on human-curated feeds that users can choose to follow, the platform aims to help users feel assured that no algorithmic favoritism or censorship is occurring behind its digital walls. What is it like using Skylight? In an age where just a few trillion-dollar social media giants have control over not just our content, but the algorithms controlling who sees it, and where governments seem more willing than ever to ban platforms that millions of users rely on as their digital town squares, a short-form video platform like Skylight is sorely needed. But whats it like actually using the app? On a basic level, it feels as familiar as using TikTok: you scroll, like, and comment. It works well. The one significant drawback, however, is its limited content. Currently, Skylight has nowhere near the wealth of videos that TikTok offerswhich is no surprise, given the platform’s youth. In August, TechCrunch reported that the app had garnered around 240,000 downloads and had approximately 100,000 videos uploaded to its platform. But that could change. At one point, the AT Protocol-based Bluesky also had similar numbers, and now that decentralized platform is approaching 40 million users. Will Skylight ever reach that level? One should hope so. As tech giants and billionaires continue to consolidate their grip on the worlds social media networks, and even liberal democratic governments threaten to ban those same networks, the world needs platforms that their creators and users command. The future of free, unfettered speech that cant be controlled by corporations may depend on it.
Category:
E-Commerce
Maybe youre managing a team while being a caregiver, or breaking sales records while working remotely as a single parent. Each challenge carves a mark on your journey to growth, purpose, and legacy, and earns a spot on your résumé. A résumé of challenges is not a list of defeats, but a record of victories: the battles youve fought, the lessons youve learned, and the resilience that will carry you forward. Having an awareness and understanding of your résumé of challenges helps you understand your own strengths and ability to rise. Being able to speak to your honest (nonfabricated or misrepresented) résumé of challenges before and/or during a job interview can be an authentic way to highlight what you bring to the table, which may not be visible in your submitted résumé. Benefits of Having a Résumé of Challenges 1. Provides proof of critical intangible traits and abilities Challenges not only show what youve been through. They show your resilience, adaptability, grit, and problem-solving ability. A résumé of challenges highlights strength of character. It can demonstrate your integrity, as well as your ability to stay honest and truthful and to maintain ethical principles, even when it is difficult or personally detrimental. It allows you to demonstrate your growth by talking about the lessons, skills, and wisdom left behind from each challenge. Also, your résumé of challenges can be proof that you can thrive in uncertain environments. 2. Demonstrates credibilitySharing and discussing your résumé of challenges and what you have learned from them provides transparency. It makes you more relatable and garners more respect. It demonstrates authenticity. Also, being authenticand having faced adversity and learned from itmakes you a better leader, and one that people trust. 3. Boosts self-confidence, fosters good mental healthReviewing your résumé of challenges can help remind you of what you are capable of accomplishing when facing new obstacles. This will feed and encourage your own personal confidence and empowerment. It also prepares you to face new obstacles without unwarranted fear. And maybe most of all, it helps you recognize your personal worthbeyond job titles or job descriptions. 4. Reframes setbacks as assetsYour résumé of challenges provides you with the opportunity to explain how your failures were used as stepping stones to higher growth and development. It can help you transform pain into purpose, showing value in lived experiences. 5. Inspires others, leaves a legacySharing your résumé of challenges normalizes struggle as a part of success. It creates a ripple effect that motivates others to keep going. And lastly, your résumé of challenges is part of your legacy. Its a record of strength that you can pass on to the next generation. Your story will tell them: Heres what I endured. Heres what I learned. Heres how you can rise, too. In many ways, that résumé becomes the most valuable document of your life, because it tells the truth about who you are to your core. Heres My Résumé of Challenges As an example, here are some things on my résumé of challenges. I was the first female, first Black person, and/or first Black female to achieve my roles in white male-dominated industries in corporate America. Because of this, I had to navigate the daily realities of sexism, racism, sexual harassment, and classism. During my engineering days, I often had to spend time in environments that did not have basic bathroom or sleeping accommodations for women. I also had to face many personal challenges while still showing up to perform and grow in my career, such as the loss of many dear loved ones, caring for my husband during his battle with colon cancer, and multiple health issues. Persevering through all these adversities, while maintaining my integrity, was proof of my resilience and character, earned me respect and trust, and shaped me into a person and leader who values diversity and inclusion, knows how to build high-performing teams, and strives to make everyone feel valued and appreciated. The next time you update your professional résumé, take a moment to update your résumé of challenges, too. Write down the hurdles youve cleared, the moments you thought you wouldnt survive but did, and the lessons that reshaped you. Because in the end, its not the titles we hold that define us, but the challenges weve overcome to get there. And when you know and understand your résumé of challenges, youll never again doubt your ability to rise.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||