When is it a bad idea to bet on the future? How about… never. First, we’re seeing massive shifts in customer behavior during the pandemic — behaviors that look likely to last. Second, the emergence of Millennials and Gen Z as significant market segments suggest that those new behaviors are just the beginning. Third, and most importantly, the big guys of digital — Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft — are all placing big bets that threaten to reshape the landscape for every business in due time.

So, maybe a better question is "How can you bet on the future to win?" And that’s what we’re talking about in this episode of Thinks Out Loud.

We’ll take a look at who’s leading the way towards the future, some useful frameworks for how to think about betting on the future, and how to place smart bets for your business… bets that you can win.

Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you.

Thinks Out Loud Episode 327: Why Digital Leaders Bet on the Future Headlines and Show Notes

Show Notes and Links

Here are the regular show notes detailing links and news related to this week’s episode. Be sure to check out all the links that matter for your business once you’ve given the episode a listen.

* Day One at Amazon and Developing a Digital Culture (Thinks Out Loud Episode 325)

* Scott Brinker on Twitter: "Important to balance across this spectrum. But if you buy the premise that business environments are evolving rapidly — which I do — I think it’s better to lean to the left. https://t.co/7eS7wbtOfH" / Twitter

* Swap and go: electric trucks to run between Sydney and Brisbane using exchangeable batteries | Transport | The Guardian

* Amazon to let Whole Foods shoppers pay with a swipe of their palm | Reuters

* Amazon is opening a hair salon with an AR color bar | Engadget

* Online Grocery Delivery from Kroger (KR) to Be Done by Robot Warehouses – Bloomberg

* Almost a fifth of Facebook employees are now working on VR and AR: report

* The tech industry is looking to replace the smartphone — and everybody is waiting to see what Apple com...