Tomorrow’s next big thing – Chinese take away in saucepans / 4BC
This week I was in 4BC’s Brisbane studio with Clare Blake as we attempted to look at things that were happening now that might end up being tomorrows’ big trend or fad.
I say tried, because we did get to things like nose to tail dining; last weeks New York Fashion weeks big trend of men wearing sandals with everything; sparkling water being served for free at upmarket coffee establishments and others, but for some reason we ended up talking about take away food, which got Clare to make the request for someone to invent a take away container that was more environmentally friendly, to which I said in the 1960’s we used to take our own saucepans down to the local Chinese restaurant and bring home take away in them and then it was on for young and old.
Clare had never heard of it before and thought I was making it up, but my fellow Baby Boomers came to the rescue and flooded the switchboard with their saucepan take away memories and before we knew it the 1/2 hour segment was done.
I love this interview, it shows that even with the best laid plans that the listeners win and the topic and listeners were so much fun, we just had to stick with it, so maybe not so much future this time and more nostalgia, but you will hear me make a few useless attempts at trying to get us back on topic, before giving and just going with it.
And FYI I did uncover a brilliant new business idea in the conversation, one that I’m shopping around as we speak, so it just goes to show that inspiration can come from the most unlikely places.
Have a listen now and see what inspires you (20 mins 35 secs)
This week I was in 4BC’s Brisbane studio with Clare Blake as we attempted to look at things that were happening now that might end up being tomorrows’ big trend or fad. I say tried, because we did get to things like nose to tail dining; last weeks New York Fashion weeks big trend.
When signals like Tomorrow’s next big thing Chinese take away in emerge, organisations that engage early have the advantage of choosing their response rather than reacting to events. That gap between those who prepared and those who did not is where competitive positioning is actually made or lost.
The most important question is not whether Tomorrow’s next big thing Chinese take away in will matter, but how quickly it will matter in your specific context. Leaders benefit most from mapping the ripple effects early — not just the direct impact but the second and third-order consequences that arrive later and hit harder. That is the practical work of foresight.
