58 - Brainstorming Once Again
Hey there, ! (I think I’ve fixed this now. Who knows. Maybe it’ll break again next week :D)
I’m doing a bit of an easier one today - a bit of brainstorming - because I’ve been working on another piece for the SBS Emerging Writers Competition - you can read my entry here.
Today’s theme is: Businesses that I want to see but don’t exist yet (that I know of)
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Enhanced Reality - mixed reality goggles (like the Magic Leap) that allows me to adventure anywhere I am. I don’t want any restrictions, I just want to be able to put them on and walk around, making my daily walks, runs, or exercise more exciting and vibrant. Kind of like the running app which makes it sound like you’re being chased by zombies? But I’m envisioning that I’ll just walk in a park and trees and animals will start appearing all around me, as if I’m walking through a forest, or on a savannah.
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House sharing - like Flexicar or WeWork - you’re able to move your life around and stay in different suburbs / states / countries just based on a (probably quite hefty) subscription fee. Each house would be filled with the same amenities and comforts as every other house - all your possessions would need to be accommodated in like…one piece of luggage. If you also outsourced all your clothes, that would be pretty interesting too; imagine being able to pick new clothes every day, and they match you perfectly, every time. Probably wouldn’t be suited to everyone - but with the rise of more nomadic lifestyles, it might be appealing to some?
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Surprise gifts - you’re going to spend money on things for yourself, so how about sending money periodically to a business that finds a gift based on your preferences? Randomly receive things on a wishlist - the business will then keep the money ‘til they find it on discount, or maybe get a bulk deal, and then get it for you as a surprise. It does take choice out of the mix, as well as impulse buys, but everyone loves a surprise right? Or maybe you could set this up for a friend as a gift? A gift of gifts? What could be better :D
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AI pets - how come there aren’t realistic AI cats or dogs yet? Like…what does a cat even do other than look at you menacingly, sit on your keyboard, meow at you for food and hate attention? (obviously, I don’t own a cat). Maybe the technical difficulty is making the movements and affection seem real? Yes, I could adopt a pet, but in the future wouldn’t this idea then prevent as much abuse of pets / further degenerate the gene pool (e.g. flat nosed dogs?).
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Decentralised Library - everyone has books in their home that they have probably bought, been gifted, or have inherited from years and years ago. I know people are attached to books for many different reasons, but for the ones they aren’t as attached to, surely there could be a central repository that you could register your books on, and then rent them out? For a small fee you could get access to the library network - if it’s not returned in time, or it’s damaged, the person gets charged.
I know your first instinct will be - hey, why don’t you create it then? And my only answer to that is…okay!
Chat soon :)
✔️ Real Life Recommendations
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Dark - I’ve finally finished watching all 3 seasons of Dark, a Netflix original completely in German (I watched the subbed version), which I can describe as Stranger Things except sci-fi instead of fantasy. It’s a mind-bending story that is incredibly satisfying to watch - it’s not a normal ‘mystery-box’ sitcom where it raises a bunch of questions that don’t get answered - it takes time, but everything ties up in a really nice bow. If you like sci-fi, or towns where weird things happen, highly recommended series to watch!
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Going Postal by Terry Pratchett - read this after last week’s kinda depressing post, as well as hearing about the USPS in the US. It’s a rollicking read about a con man, sentenced to die, who is given a second chance as Postmaster, bringing back the decrepit Post Office back to its glory days. It’s a super fun read, and Terry Pratchett is at his very best, balancing the comedy with the drama. The story is wonderful and delivers the very best gut punches, as is a normal Discworld book. Some quotes:
“What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.”
“The mere fact you’re delivering any will help, I’m sure,” said Professor Pelc, smiling like a doctor telling a man not to worry, the disease is only fatal in 87 per cent of cases.”
“But…but you can’t treat religion as a sort of buffet, can you? I mean, you can’t say yes please, I’ll have some of the Celestial Paradise and a helping of the Divine Plan but go easy on the kneeling and none of the Prohibition of Images, they give me wind. Its table d´hôte or nothing, otherwise…well, it would be silly.”
🚌 Adventures on the Information Super-Highway
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Random Ideas - A few years back I found this guy’s blog - he posted 5 - 10 random ideas per day, based on a particular theme or technology. It was a kickstarter for me as well - a whole repository of thinking and ideation!
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To be creative, Chinese philosophy teaches us to abaandon ‘originality’ - the thesis of this article is that creativity is not just about novelty. Sometimes, by leaning into doing the thing that has been done over and over again, and finding out how to integrate old things together (rather than follow a plan or formula for creativity) can help unlock more creativity than you would have thought. I really like this because it vibes with what I usually think - everyone’s creative, it’s just how that’s displayed that’s different.
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How to Learn Everything: The MasterClass Diaries - an exploration into MasterClass - someone tries it for 6 months to see what happens and if they actually get any value from it. Answer? It depends. A great quote:
I have realized that there are two kinds of teachers. Some focus on transmitting their skills. They seem to be saying to the student: “this is how to do what I do.” Others offer themselves as models to be imitated: “this is how I became who I am.” Many MasterClass instructors pretend they are selling the former while in fact delivering the latter.