Over the years I have seen how there are 2 worlds when it comes to innovation and business models. One side looks in the past, uses pseudo science like economics and market research to find out what happened and what people liked before and think they would like now and in the future.
The other side are the people who look ahead, who dream and cannot quantify their vision. Although the world is full of failures on both sides the latter often looses in the discussion, unfortunately.
Caloom is such a project. There is so much evidence and concrete demand from customers that your head spins but still people remain sceptical. Despite my flexible mind and my broad understanding of how and why people think differently it still puzzles me.Is it upbringing, education at a later age or a character issues perhaps? I tend to think the latter more and more.
The current state.
When times change we need new questions, new solutions and a new mind set. We are now in changing times but the people running the innovation financing still think about ad revenues, selling customer data to highest bidders, mobile applications, proven business models and what not.
The future
Already now many people who thought they had it all worked out perfectly fine with own house, good job, twice on holiday, weekends of shopping realize this is already behind them. They need to change their life style and many have to follow. Sounds negative? No, this means a change to better the world. Endless spending and living on credit won’t last.
In my vision of this world we shall partially go back to a more inter-dependent society vs a global consumption society. This inter-dependent society is more about sharing, buying locally produced goods and produce, creating local events. This is good as it strengthens small local societies and together they can withstand much easier possible hardship than is possible now, individually.
Concrete example is shared buying power. Getting a good deal from a utility company is easier when you stand with 1000 people together than alone, makes sense right? Farmers have an easier time (I sued to work at a farm) when orders can be predicted in advance instead of going to the auction. When you as a neighbourhood can order 3 cubic meters of potatoes this autumn for next year business for the local farmer might be easier and more interesting too.
But this kind of logic does not get funded. Why not? Because the past 5 years people didn’t buy it this way, they went to the supermarket the research shows. We do not need research for that, my mother could tell you the same.
