Perhaps the most appropriate word to describe today’s economy is adaptation. This is more specifically in reference to the indisputable fact that in order for any company to make it today they most first and foremost establish a fundamental principle of adaptation into their business model.
As opposed to the better part of world history, today’s economic acceleration is not only unparalleled but almost too fast for the modern technologically advanced individual to keep up with. It is not that we are merely faster than others in terms of innovation and communication but we have reached a definitive point where we have outpaced ourselves.
And so my conclusion as stated above is that for anyone to make it in a real way today they must have, at the core of their business model a principal of adaptation. I will list two interesting examples that I heard my nephew talking about over the holidays that are indicative, at least to me, of the way that the new generation is thinking about business and creativity and how they are able to apply that to classic business models and ideas.
The first think that he told me about was his idea for adjustable glasses. The concept is to make the process of taking measurements for eyeglass more efficient. Most of us are used to having to look into a contraption face-to-face with the person measuring us. And then we have to try on a number of pairs so that the temples and lens fit the way we want them to. With these adjustable plastic sample glasses, measurements are written along all of the pieces on the glasses. So you can get a pair of these sample glasses and put them on at home, get your exact size and then order glasses online without having to worry that they won’t fit.
The second idea is to have a mannequin that tailors can use to do their job more effectively. The mannequin would be adjustable in every way. It would be constructed from a hundred plates that together have the shape of a classic mannequin but can be adjusted in nearly every way. So a tailor would be able to place a garment on this adjustable mannequin and get and exact replication of the measurements of their clients.
I don’t think that any of these ideas are very practical but to see my nephew get himself all worked up about how the old things don’t work and how there can be better ways to do old things is reminiscent of the real American spirit that has traditionally thought in novel ways to improve existing trends and ideas. One the one had adapting to the new and on the other reinventing the old. This is what the new generation takes for granted. This is a real market of the success of the American experiment.