Short answer – I don’t know. For that matter, neither do you.
If we did, then a) the world would stop being fun and b) we would be rich beyond our imagination.
The b) scenario is when you know what stocks hit what peaks and when etc etc. (just in case you were waiting for an explanation).
Anyways, the future being unknown is always intriguing. That is why we seek astrological guidance, that is why we love to see Apple leaks, that is why we can’t wait till then ending of a mystery movie.
But one can always make an educated guess.
This decade is one of upheaval. You should have guessed by now, given how it started. But it goes beyond the Corona. The very idea of nation states is going to be threatened.
If you think about it, countries as they are carved out now have existed for about a couple of hundred years. It has been a rocky ride, but generally peaceful post 1945. A lot of these nation states are dictated by economic activity, and as technology enables seamlessness across borders, and as inflation and over-printing of fiat money adds a lot of froth to an already highly-leveraged ecosystem…it may be a matter of time before the upheaval starts.
Apple forms about 7% of the S&P 500, with the big 5 tech forming close to 23% of the world’s largest economy. That is not even distribution by any stretch of imagination. Coupled with the world’s second largest economy heavily reliant on manufacturing, even a slight change in consumption of technology, or a disruption, will cause a ripple effect across both the US and China.
In short – not good.
On the bright side, we will have a lot of time on our hands. With AI and automation, and driverless cars, a large part of the 2030 economy is going to be creativity. The UAE has already implemented the 4.5 day workweek, I see many more economies moving towards a 4-day workweek. It seems radical now, but so was the two day weekend when it first came by. A lot more to invest in ourselves, and hopefully in the world at large.
Which brings me to climate change and more responsibility. I see a lot less meat consumption by 2030, as the fears of accelerating climate change, and the horrible conditions that animals are harvested in (yes, not bred harvested), push our moral compass towards compassion and responsible behavior. A lot less plastic and meat, a lot more recycling and conscious consumption.
Lastly, but not the least – immersive tech. Dial back twenty years and remember how you used to consume the internet. At that time, today’s tech would have not been fathomable. Tech accelerates rapidly, so extrapolate those twenty years on a graph with exponential growth, and look ahead ten years. You may not be able to interpret what you see. The metaverse is more than horrid-looking apes and kitties. It is truly a world within a world. And ten years from now, we may find ourselves there, more than here.
Lets see what’s in store for us…stay safe!