Have you checked if the car is already streamtracked?
Reaching for the seat belt, he makes himself comfortable in the driver's seat. Suddenly, a 10-year-old's hand springs from the back, repeating a grabbing gesture.
- Your manners should check for an update, young man.
- Can I have my water, please?
The ambience lights up, and they start moving.
- Have you checked if the car is already streamtracked?
She passes the bottle, toying a little with the boy.
- Yup, we’re online. Everyone, smile for the exit camera.
A teenager yells angrily in the back.
- Stop it! Can’t you see that I’m doing something?
- Dad asked everyone to smile…
- Be nice to your brother.
A pink smoothie is passed from the passenger seat to the back as a peace offering.
The car joins the highway flow. He confirms auto, lets the wheel loose, and crosses his arms.
- What are you working on? Can we play it? I can’t drive here anyway.
She flips her palm and takes down the headset.
- Let me put it on the car.
This game is brought to you by the National Highway Authority.
The first player to spot a colourful vehicle shouts the name of something of the same colour for points.
Points are adjusted for your seat and current traffic.
The rarer the vehicle’s colour in your area, the more points you get.
Player One, present yourself.
- Me! Me!
Gentle ding confirms.
Player Two, present yourself.
- Here.
Lower tone jingle sounds. Two numbers light up on the front mirror.
Are there any more contenders?
- Add me.
- And me and we’re ready.
Two more dings and now four numbers shine in the corners of the mirror. A countdown appears in its centre.
Your game will begin soon. Exchange qualifying scores for toll credit or reStation coupons.
Melodic trans music fills the car.
[Drone Trucks] appears in the centre of the mirror.
- Strawberry!
Ding.
- Banana.
Ding.
- Pinguin!
- Bluebird.
[SUVs]
- Flamingo!
Colourful dots and increasing scores crowd the screen as they play, surrounded by soft dings confirming points.
- Orange.
- Pig!
- Stop! Screaming!
She claps twice. The game freezes.
- You’re just jealous I was winning.
- Where are you pitching it?
- This is my idea for a road safety awareness contest. It’s a modern reinterpretation…
- Rein-shit-pretation.
- Language! Enough of your moods. There’s CCTV everywhere. We paid to get nice shots for our trip videos. I won’t let you ruin our streamtrack.
His tongue sticks out with anger.
- It’s a modern reinterpretation of a game people played for centuries on long journeys. When the Roman empire built roads, soldiers played this game using colours of beards of people they spotted on the road. Later it was played using horses, popular car models and today we can play it with drone trucks.
- This is different. Cars and horses were controlled by humans.
- Those fleets have human operators.
- Yeah, and their only job is to record angry drivers and ridicule them online. First they mandated autodrive in congested areas and now mixed lanes. The roads are not for people anymore. It’s an insurance conspiracy. I don’t feel comfortable with all those robots around. Every time we drive out of town I boost our insurance parameters for a peace of mind, and they make big bucks on this.
- Just say it dad.
He sighs.
- Driving is not what it used to be.
The car fills with laughter.
Hello Practical Futurists,
Welcome to your weekly practice, where we use futures thinking and product sci-fi to improve your strategic imagination and get your leadership future-ready.
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Start here to make the most of your time if this is your first
rodeoedition.
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Weekly Self-Reflection Prompts
Let's make the products and services mentioned in this week’s story even more relatable by grounding them in your personal life first.
For extra inspiration, you can use this excellent summary of our relationship with technology as a starting point for each prompt.
We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.
Roy Amara
Personal life reflection prompts
Would videos from your last holiday look more interesting if enriched with CCTV footage sourced and secured by your insurance provider?
What are two ways in which you balance the comfort of surveillance with the need for trust in monitoring your kids or elder parents?
If your neighbour upstairs started renovation work, would your spouse be more comfortable with a temporary boost for your home insurance parameters?
In what 3 ways your family's use of technology informs your leadership style?
Excellent.
Now, let’s switch to the context of your industry, organisation, or product you are working with.
Professional life reflection prompts
Think of a recent example of your own resistance to change involving technology. How understanding that situation can help you lead others through change?
What 3 strategies can you try to maintain human connection and teamwork in an increasingly automated work environment?
In what ways can you use the role of consumer trust in your industry to manage organisational resistance to change?
Name two traditional practices in your industry that were reimagined in the last decade.
Whose advice do you follow to ensure technology enhances your professional growth without being overwhelming?
And that’s all we have today.
Share your answers to let us know if we should explore some ideas further.
Don't forget to explore previous editions if you want even more inspiration.
Have a great week, and see you in the next one.
Pawel Halicki
PS. If you’re enjoying Practical Futures, will you take 5 seconds to forward this story to inspire a fellow leader?
It helps us to grow the community and may one day empower more strategic thinkers to lead in the age of AI.