Things that should exist
Inspired by things like requests for startups, I try and collect a list of things I would like to see more of in the world. I don't always have a clear idea how, but I feel this would make the world a better and more beautiful place. Problems to solve, communities, art and businesses to build.
Business of software
A broader valuation of software as craft, and with that viability of small software companies creating niche products. Products created by designers/developers, in a close collaboration between what is technically possible, and what works for the user.
More open source companies like Sentry, Supabase, Reflect and MedusaJS. With a clear and viable business model, but also an open, data-first, modify-able, transparent product. With, built into the license, an incentive to constantly innovate, like with Sentry. Also more initiatives like Sentry to crawl your organisation’s code, tally up open-source libraries, and donate to open-source libraries actually in use as a more common and transparently shared practice by organisations.
Fewer subscription models as the default software model, and more one-time pricing like Things. Made possible by a general valuation of software as a skill and tool, something people are willing to pay more than 2 euros per app for.
Strategic thinking
In a world where thinking - making - perfecting becomes more about thinking, and more about automating the making, we will move more towards systems thinking. A world where design thinking is more common place and logically accepted and valued. A general comfort with sketching and visualising by any people in an organisation, to not hold back ideas and to connect the dots.
Business and organisations
More beauty in doing business, and with less effort. I believe there are way better ways to create beautiful strategic consulting presentations, with tools much more user-friendly than PowerPoint.
Organisations can be simpler, by creating clear hierarchies. Failing to do so only creates informal hierarchies, which lead to double work and politics.
Less ego and posing, less plastic LinkedIn posts, and more sharing of genuine promotions and learnings from work. Slower paced, and in a platform that doesn’t reward sensationalism.
More distributed office spaces like “Spaces”, where companies rent multiple small offices around the country, instead of one big one. For people to work from and bump into other people.
More asynchronous collaboration, where people can work at their own pace, their own time preferences, and where that is more logical. Mostly a world where there is less of a manufacturing clock mindset around work, less 9-5. And with the general acceptance and embrace of that, more small-scale remote-first companies, who have no shared office, but join up every 2 months to have best of both worlds (like Muse).
Everyone a developer
Fewer intimidation of code, by making code a more prolific part of doing business and doing work. Making code and how to think about more accessible, less intimidating. Adding code (or logical+systems thinking) as a third foundational subject in schools, next to language and math.
With that I hope for a growth in barefoot developers, people who code their own little tools, not professionally, but just to help solve a problem they are having. I hope this will be made possible with the creation of a Ruby on Rails type framework for local-first apps.
More and better tools to assist people in making stuff, in particular code. Where today AI can generate the lego-pieces, you have to figure out how to put them together. More tools to automate the “make” in “think, make, perfect”.
Thoughtfulness and curiosity
I hope for more podcasts like Muse; thoughtful, reflective, deep into a topic. Not sensationalist.
I believe there should exist more personal websites, quirky and not styled like a default template. To express interests, ideas and passion projects, more pages like now.
A further growth of indie journalism, where it is easier to collect a broad and ‘complete’ range of sources (the service newspapers used to provide), but coming from indie journalists. With that a valuation of journalism and the rise of more viable indie journalism. Overall I believe we should create a business model that does not reward sensationalism.
More sharing of optimistic, constructive ideas like TED. To inspire people to think in solutions and what is possible, over what is impossible.
More audiobooks, easily accessible in a service like Spotify. With better and more personalised narration through AI.
Indie journalism, easier collection and more viable business models.
Strategic intuitiveness
Overall I wish the long-term thing would become the more logical thing to do. I believe this can be made possible through tools that facilitate better number modelling, like Summit or Casual. Tools that create insight into long-term impact of business decisions. Also I believe we should create a business model and investment model that rewards long-term thinking and long-term decisions.
Local environment
More recognition and viable business models for craftworkers. Whether that is a plumber or painter doing renovation work, a bakery selling home-made bread, or an art-worker. I believe it must be made easier to go-to-market at reasonable prices and margins for those businesses. For example, an open non-profit delivery service, or a better alternative to Google maps for finding trustworthy services, like a good garage shop for your car.
(European) politics and regulation
More predictability and optimism on the topic of innovation regarding politics. Meaning clear predictable regulatory pathways towards clean steel, self-driving cars, and experimational technology. Overall less overprotectiveness over data ownership at the cost of innovation. More EU startups.
More car free centres and roads, with more access to affordable electric urban mobility over public transport. Feels more personal, and gets you from door to door. With clear (automatically managed) rules on where to park.
Automation and affordable basic goods
More robotics startups, particularly in the EU, to make European manufacturing economically viable. More involvement by designers, in particular in the easy programmability of these robots through mimicking of humans.
More automation tools in general, in particular visual automation tools for legacy business software, that learns to operate that software by itself. Easy to program, allowing legacy software to bridge over to modern software.
More utopian stuff that is not yet clearly defined in my head
In general more open-source interoperable data standards for particular document types. Not like JSON or XML, but how the JSON or XML is actually structured. For example the obsidian infinite canvas data model. Enabling apps to more easily inter-operate.
An open-source think-tank with a bias towards solutions. Where citizens and experts can contribute on topics, come to serious proposals and business ideas, without getting lost in theoretical discussions. To boost civil engagement, creativity, and a more optimistic problem-solving mindset.
More R&D labs like Xerox or Ink and Switch that bridge the gap between theoretical science, and practical business. Labs where technological experiments are created, with a more long-term outlook. Grounded in the real world, but less so in business viability.
Trains as a more enticing alternative to cars, made possible with the reintroduction of privately bookable 6 people train compartments. Giving the train a more ‘in control’ feel like in your car. And by being less anonymous, less chance of hindering other passengers.
Less boring, more engaging pensions. Not sure how, but engagement is the key to keeping the pension system viable.
More deeper personal reflection as part of our culture. Taught as a skill in school, and more widely accepted, celebrated and adopted.
Random stuff
- More craft beer, just because
- More creativity in decorating living rooms - bring art, weird colours, furniture, make it yours.
- More colourful fashion statement pieces like bags, sneakers, watch bands. More elegance and pride in looking elegant in everyday wear.
- More tattoos, more personality
- More old timers on the street. Electrified preferably.
- More paper magazines, to encourage to really sit down, relax. Also, ‘express’ who you are to yourself through the magazines you read.
- A better way to manage contacts and chat conversations. Basically what Tweetdeck was for Twitter, but for Slack, WhatsApp, mail, SMS and all the others.
- More unique, outspoken, well designed, quickly webshops like TID watches.
