Catching the "New New Thing"
✦ Click any bullet point or select text for an AI explanation
Throughout my career, I made it a habit to learn about the "new new thing" before the people around me. This wasn't because I had a crystal ball; it was because I was a voracious, disciplined learner.
Case Study: Timing the Internet
In the mid-1990s, when the "Information Superhighway" was still a punchline for many, I co-founded Edventions. We provided safe internet access to elementary schools. People told me it was too early—that schools weren't ready for the web. But because I had spent the previous five years learning the underlying architecture of the internet, I knew the wave was coming. We scaled to over 125 schools and eventually sold to Edison Schools.
Case Study: Voice Analytics and DialogTech
In 2007, I saw another shift. Digital marketing was exploding, but there was a "black hole" in the data: phone calls. Marketers knew what people clicked on, but they didn't know what they said once they picked up the phone. I founded DialogTech to bring voice analytics to the masses. By the time we were acquired by Invoca for $100 million in 2021, we had transformed how thousands of businesses understood their customers.
Research Example: A study by Michael Lewis in his book The New New Thing highlights that the most successful innovators aren't necessarily the best "engineers"—they are the best at anticipatory thinking. They look at the current tools and ask, "What is the next logical step?" Lifelong learning gives you the "historical library" necessary to see these patterns.
How to Spot the Next Wave
To see the "new new thing," you must:
- Read outside your field: If you're in marketing, read about biology. If you're in tech, read about history.
- Follow the "Makers": Look at what hobbyists are doing. Before 3D printing was a multi-billion dollar industry, it was a bunch of people in garages sharing files on forums. (This is why I founded MakeWithTech—to stay close to the source of innovation).
- Use the "10% Rule": Spend 10% of your week learning something that has zero immediate "ROI." That 10% is your investment in the future.