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Trendwatching, Information Discovery, and Technologies of the Past and Future
Trendwatching, Information Discovery, and Technologies of the Past and Future
How to Predict the Future: The Art of Seeing the Serious in Strange and Scary Products
Everything New Seems Funny at First
Any technology we use today without a second thought once triggered panic, laughter, or even contempt. People feared electricity, mocked paper money, resisted vaccination, and saw the 8-hour workday as a threat to the economy. What do all these cases have in common? They were new. And everything new initially seems like madness.
That’s exactly why trendwatching — observing shifts in culture, technology, and behavior — matters so much. It helps you recognize where what looks like “crazy” is actually the beginning of a new normal.
That’s exactly why trendwatching — observing shifts in culture, technology, and behavior — matters so much. It helps you recognize where what looks like “crazy” is actually the beginning of a new normal.
Examples of “Crazy” Innovations That Became the Standard
The history of technology is a history of skepticism. Here are just a few examples that people once laughed at:
- Paper money — when it first appeared in China in the 11th century, it was called “flying money” and wasn’t taken seriously. Later, it spread across the world.
- Electricity — criticized as “dangerous for morality and health.” People were afraid of light bulbs and street lighting.
- Passports and borders — free movement used to be the norm. The introduction of passports after World War I was seen as inhumane.
- COVID-19 vaccines — in just a year, they went from complete novelty to billions of administered doses. Resistance turned into acceptance.
- The 8-hour workday — in the early 20th century, employers predicted business collapse due to shorter working hours.
- Women wearing trousers — in the 19th century, it was almost a punishable offense. Today, it’s a basic part of everyday clothing.
- Cars — “they will never replace horses,” people said in the 1900s. Thirty years later, everything changed.
- Online payments — in the 1990s, they were considered unsafe. Today, they are the foundation of e-commerce.
- Cryptocurrencies — a decade of skepticism, followed by institutional adoption.
- Apple Pay and Google Pay — “no one will pay with a phone.” Today, paying by phone is привычка.
- Drones — once seen as toys. Now they are used in warfare, logistics, monitoring, and delivery.
- Remote work — before the pandemic, it was considered ineffective. Today, it’s part of the standard model.
- Electric scooters — seemed absurd at first. Now they are part of urban mobility.
- Reels and TikTok — “just silly content for teenagers,” which became a new media format.
- Neural networks and generative AI — once a playground for geeks, now a core business tool.
Why This Matters for Companies
Each of these ideas once seemed impossible, ridiculous, or even dangerous. But then they changed the rules of the game.
Businesses that learn to recognize such shifts earlier than others win. Not because they “predict trends,” but because they know how to look beyond fear, noise, and doubt — and see real human behavior and underlying needs.
Businesses that learn to recognize such shifts earlier than others win. Not because they “predict trends,” but because they know how to look beyond fear, noise, and doubt — and see real human behavior and underlying needs.
How to Use Trendwatching
- Focus not on technologies, but on changes in behavior. People are the signal; technology is the tool.
- Separate crowd opinion from real shifts. Laughter and fear often mask genuine interest.
- Recognize patterns from the past. Everything new is frightening at first — that’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
- Collect weak signals. Don’t wait until the media starts talking about something — trends begin in basements and forums.
What Awaits Us Tomorrow: What Will People Laugh at in 2027–2030?
Here’s a list of ideas that may raise ironic smiles today — but could become the new reality in just a few years:
- AI agents replacing customer support operators — “bots won’t understand human emotions.” Yet in some cases, they already do better than people.
- Full-scale work in the metaverse — “it’s ridiculous to sit in a VR headset all day.” But for distributed teams with AI avatars, this may become the norm.
- A personal AI concierge in your smartphone — “who needs that, it’s just a clunky version of Siri or Alexa.” But Gen Z wants to talk not to a machine, but to a conversational partner.
- Car-free cities where cycling and e-mobility are the default — sounds like футуризм, but such districts are already being built in major cities.
- Smart clothing with biosensors — “why would I need a T-shirt that tracks my blood pressure?” A doctor, however, would disagree.
- AI systems writing laws — “scary,” “inhumane.” Yet this could be more transparent than manual lobbying.
- Tax reporting handled entirely by AI — no longer a joke in some startups.
- Neural interfaces as an alternative to keyboards — sci-fi today, a UX revolution tomorrow.
- School exams replaced by simulations in the metaverse — still sounds science fiction, but much closer than it seems.
Already today, more than 340 municipalities across Europe have restrictions on car access: superblocks, pedestrian zones, and congestion charges are being implemented — reducing car traffic by up to 45%.
From “This is nonsense” to “Hmm… well, of course, it’s obvious”
Every new idea goes through a phase of “this is nonsense,” then “what if,” and finally “well, of course, it’s obvious.” Your task is not to wait until something becomes obvious — but to recognize the seed of meaning within the chaos of the new.
Trendwatching isn’t about futurology. It’s about attention. About the ability to see real future potential in subtle signals and seemingly ridiculous ideas — and to act in time.
Every new idea goes through a phase of “this is nonsense,” then “what if,” and finally “well, of course, it’s obvious.” Your task is not to wait until something becomes obvious — but to recognize the seed of meaning within the chaos of the new.
Trendwatching isn’t about futurology. It’s about attention. About the ability to see real future potential in subtle signals and seemingly ridiculous ideas — and to act in time.
P.S. Get in touch if you’d like to run a trendwatching training for your product managers or creative team.
Leonid Bugaev
is an expert in business communications, a corporate trainer, speaker, and conference moderator. He is the author of the books “Mobile Marketing”, “Mobile Networking” and "People Like Me: 99 Rules for Building Connections That Actually Matter."
Follow Leonid on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you don’t miss new publications. Also take a look at his business training programs on networking, B2B sales and trendwatching, as well as his books and interviews.
Follow Leonid on Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so you don’t miss new publications. Also take a look at his business training programs on networking, B2B sales and trendwatching, as well as his books and interviews.
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