The typical human mindset is linear. From the way we project the future to the way our intuition works, we are wired to be sequential. Unfortunately, this means exponentially-advancing technologies, like the digital world that surrounds us today, are tremendously hard to assimilate into our thinking.
That’s the thesis of a fascinating hour-long presentation we watched today from Salim Ismail, executive director and founder of Singularity University (condensed half hour version posted above). Salim builds his remarkable presentation from Moore’s law and how we’ve been doubling the price/performance of computation for over 100 years–far longer than most people realize. This exponential growth of information technology presents real challenges for marketers, manufacturers and society itself. In a speech bristling with anecdotes and facts that are in turn inspiring and sobering, he makes these three statements:
- “When you try to do disruptive innovation in a big company, the immune system of the organization will come and attack you. All of our big organizations are built to withstand change, withstand risk.”
- “We’re going from nine billion connected devices today to a trillion in a decade and a half or so. We think we’re thirty, forty years into the information revolution, but on this particular metric, we’re about 1% there. We’re literally just starting.”
- “It’s not about the technology, it’s about the way technology changes our behavior.”
It’s well worth watching, uncomfortable bits and all. And we so appreciate being pointed to this clip by a client who wanted to help the participants in her mobility ideation offsite recalibrate their thinking. God love you for that Carol.
Dennis & Mike