Is your business doomed in this near-future scenario? A Dutch futurist tells you what you can do to save it from becoming irrelevant We are entering a period of both profound abundance and economic decline, futurist Martijn Aslander believes.This seemingly contradictory statement was one of the key points at the inaugural Finance Indaba presentation in Johannesburg by the Dutch author and "lifehacker" last month. (The term lifehacking refers to ways of simplifying things or processes, or making them more efficient.)The nature of today’s highly networked and connected world means more of the products and services we enjoy will be free, or just about, unlike previous innovation s that led to greater consumption (think mass-produced cars and computers).This, he says, will lead to a period of dematerialisation.It’s now possible to pay US$35 for a smartphone that includes a phone, still camera, video camera, torch, radio, calculator and compass. And, via the Internet, it brings with it a...
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