Welcome To The 2030s

McKinsey published a report on the future in 2030s. It was a good read, and I wanted to share it with you.

McKinsey they are one of the biggest management consultancies in the world. They assist businesses with pretty much everything, including setting strategy and execution. They asked the experts for opinions- they should know what they are talking about.

But remember that the only certainty about the future is that no one knows anything. We get global pandemics, rogue companies and bafoons as prime ministers or presidents. So enjoy but treat it as a direction and not a destination.

These reports was published in September 2022 and you can find it on their site.

I will loosely mirror the same structure they follow. The report itself is huge with many spanning off sections — explore if you have time ( or need writing material). I did not read every single section — just the ones that interest me.

This is not meant to be interpreted as any financial advice! Please do not treat it as such.

We will all be fit and thin

Okay, so it’s not exactly what it says, just my deduction.

Imagine a fridge that knows your heartbeat, blood sugar level and the amount of exercise you’ve done during the day. If you were that fridge, would you open the door at 11 in the evening for that ‘last’ snack of the day? Somehow I don’t think so.

All our devices will be connected and talk to each other.

That scares me. A lot.

But I am sure there is nothing sinister there, and let’s face it, most of us have given away our privacy just to use google, apple and smartwatches.

This is just the next step if we want to, you know, keep things cold.

No more awkward neighbour talk.

Drones will be delivering packages.

We can finally officially avoid the neighbours.

F U Bob.

Just kidding, I love you (for now).

We can all go to space

Hopefully, not in penis-shaped rockets.

Outer space travel will be possible with hotels on the moon or travel to Mars.

To understand the scale of the development -there have been eleven thousand satellites launched into space since 1957. There are plans to launch 70 thousand more. Half of these could be Starlink btw.

Apart from, presumably, making the owners insanely rich(er)-somehow, but I still haven’t figured out exactly how- this would bring the internet to billions of people. We would also be able to identify weather patterns better and be better prepared for storms and other extreme weather. Big win for humanity or a massive waste of money?

A slight issue of how to stop so many objects from bumping into each -turns out a much bigger issue in space.

Some manufacturing up there instead of down here. Mining of asteroids. I wonder what Bruce Willis is up to?

You will be able to eat food packaging.

Why is the thought of the people who insist on buying water bottles unnecessarily and then eating the packaging so satisfying? Okay, so the report doesn’t specifically talk about eating water bottles, but I am hoping.I also will be expecting much higher standards from the supermarkets storing all the food if we are eating those crisp packages and the crisps.

No more smelling the food in the fridge. The packaging will tell you when food is unsafe so we don’t throw away the good stuff. That’s the plus side. The negative is how many more sensors everything is getting, and what happens to them afterwards.

Very personalised packaging. Even the ones you might not need -like jam jars or wine bottles. Apparently, scanning a package for a completely personalised cocktail would become a #1 priority.

Shopping on steroids

Connected physical and digital shopping experience.

Fewer flagship stores where your experience is extremely personalised- ie the mood of the shop will change. Digital mannequins that change what they are wearing based on who you are, plus different lighting, sounds and smells.

Shops where our avatars can try on clothes. This would replace many ‘real’ shops and broaden the reach to the whole globe. Imagine a small shop from xyz can target literally the world!

A shop assistant who would know a lot about you when you enter the store- your name, what you like, maybe your dress size. No more sulking in private when your clothes do not fit.

A more significant focus on sustainability and circular business models ( rental, repair and refurbishment). Much easier way to re-sell items. AI even suggests a next sucker (I mean buyer) for your items.

More Inclusive Media Industry

One global content marketplace. Many diverse backgrounds in the industry.

Netflixes deciding what to watch and with whom. Immersive games, movies and TV shows. Blurring of lines between watching and playing. Augmented reality allowing to ‘watch’ movies with friends even if you are in different places.

Your platform could ‘read’ your mood. AI will decide what to view based on unique algorithms, time of day and how you feel.

Experiences through sensors. Imagine ‘feeling’ the alien behind you. Or THE clown. Don’t worry there will be other devices to help you sleep afterwards.

I’m scared and hopeful about what the next set of overloads has in store for us.

Quiet Electric flying vehicles

Flying taxis (eVTOLS)to transport people and cargo within 100-mile radius. Some could be controlled from the ground.

Advanced Air Mobility operators rival traditional airlines with x 10 more flights of much shorter durations.

Safe, quiet, affordable and environmentally friendly. The dream.

High level Takeaway

Tech tech tech and data data data. Every company is a data and tech company.

More electric and automated. Everything is connected and personalised.

Zero f’king privacy. Even from your f’king fridge.

Absolutely everything is tracked for our benefit and convenience.

Lucky us, huh?