My pizza preferences are trending again
Looking at the flickering city lights from their high-rise apartment, she wonders what the time is. She sends a ping, tapping her foot impatiently.
- Where are you?
He links her in immediately.
- Ten minutes away. Just turning onto our street.
She feels a mix of annoyance and affection. It is so typical of him to get absorbed in his work. Still, his enthusiasm is one of the reasons she loves him.
- You know you’re late? You’re lucky I’m having a good day.
- What happened?
- My pizza preferences are trending again.
- Oh, congratulations! What a lucky sign! Shall we celebrate?
- We already have plans. Don’t you remember?
- I'm sorry I got distracted. Your mother’s avatar rejected my dietary preferences twice, so I switched to doing something else. Why would anyone use such judgmental settings for their avatar?
She sighs, looking at the evening cityscape.
- You know her. She likes to know things better. Do you know that a context switch is a killer no matter what you do?
- Please don’t coach me now. I’ve had a rough day.
- I’m sorry to hear that. Want to talk about it when you're back?
I was hoping to be in a better mood by then. Commuting is the only part of my workday that involves social interactions outside of work.
- I see.
Taking a breath, she clears her throat and tries again.
- I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?
- I wanted to be early, so I missed my usual commute slot.
- Oh, no, you had to ride blank again?
- Yes. No magical networking, just me and my thoughts. So I tried reaching out to your mum, but…
- Her avatar rejected you…
- I started tinkering with my experiment, and I missed our stop.
- Well, how was the morning ride otherwise?
- Metromind has been incredible today. Their MetroMentors algorithm matched me with a woman trying to solve similar problems in a different industry on the other side of the planet. Later, in the lab, I realised that that conversation saved me months of work.
- That’s fantastic, and I don’t want to burst your bubble, but… I’ve heard they're not planning any new campaigns this quarter.
- I'm just pitching ideas.
Clearing his throat, he deepens his voice theatrically.
- This fall, Metromind AI will revolutionise your personal and professional life and help you network or share your passions like never before… Only when you’re using your city’s public transportation. Busy street. T-rex. Rocket landing on Mars. Epic explosions.
He makes explosion sounds, and she chuckles as he builds up towards the conclusion.
- Discuss your work with strangers in the comfort of differential privacy, taking care of your real identity. Metromind. Join the planetary alliance of passengers sharing know-how, ideas, and passions—one ride at a time.
- You’re getting better and better at it.
- I’m always supportive when things go terribly right and this is my favourite example. I can’t imagine a better way to incentivise people to use public transport.
- You do sound like a walking Metromind endorsement. I'm sorry that you commuted blank again. Would you miss it if you worked from home?
- Honestly, I don't think you'd enjoy your trending pizzas next to my cluttered lab space.
- That’s a fair point. But haven’t they been virtualising a lot of discovery work recently?
- Not in my field. Maybe in ten years. We'll see.
- Well, thanks for coming home early today. You know how important it is to her.
- I know. What should I wear?
- Whatever you're comfortable in.
- The last time you said that, I was the most underdressed person when they hosted a multi-course dinner with sparkling wine. I felt like I was wearing pyjamas to the ambassador's dinner.
She laughs softly at the memory of his embarrassed facial expressions.
- But you were comfortable.
- Impolitely comfortable.
His frames buzzed in the top right corner, highlighting her silhouette in a window high above him.
- I see you through the window.
- I know. My glasses just picked you.
- Don’t mind the elevator. It’s re-uploading mood settings again.
He takes a deep breath, and she can hear the smile in his voice.
- I’ll close my eyes. See you upstairs.
- Just don’t miss our floor.
The link stops with a chime.
Hello Practical Futurists,
Welcome back from the future, where rush hours are Earth's biggest networking event, and everyone's invited whether you're sharing breakthrough research or your passion for the perfect pizza.
Hit the "Like" button at the top or bottom of this page to inspire others and help them discover the stories you've enjoyed.Good leaders don't just wait for the future.
They help to create it.
Let's dive into our weekly workout, where we use futures thinking and product sci-fi to build a future-proof mindset.
To spark your imagination, we'll start with an inspiring quote:
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust
As always, we start by linking the story to your personal life, making it more relatable and engaging.
Personal life reflection prompts
How do you handle situations where technology causes misunderstandings or conflicts in relationships with your loved ones?
Would you commute on fixed hours for free access to exclusive services like Metromind?
What 2 boundaries do you set between your personal and professional networking in a highly connected world?
How do you maintain authentic connections when interactions are increasingly mediated by technology? Do connections maintained mainly through technological means feel less authentic?
What personal interactions in your life would benefit from having an AI-mediated avatar filter out unnecessary boundaries, and which ones would need more direct communication?
How do you handle the transition between work and personal modes in an always-connected world? What makes it work?
What 3 topics would you be happy to talk about with strangers on a commute, knowing your privacy is guaranteed?
Good job!
Now, let's focus on the context of the industry, organization, team, service, or product you're working with.
Professional life reflection prompts
If commuting by public transport were transformed into the biggest networking event, would you consider using public transport more?
Would it help your mentoring relationships if you could discuss your work problems in full detail with your mentors?
If you could design an AI mentor-matching system like MetroMentors for your team, what 3 parameters would you prioritise?
How might you design systems encourage valuable "blank" time for deep thinking while maintaining connectivity?
What types of work in your field could be "virtualised" in the next decade, and how should you prepare your team for that?
How would you implement context-switching policies in a highly connected workplace with constant digital interruptions?
In what 2 ways could mood-responsive environments affect workplace dynamics and productivity in your industry?
How might AI avatars be utilised to streamline communication and scheduling in your professional environment?
You did amazing! That’s everything we have for today.
Thank you for expanding your imagination with us. Leaders with bold ideas move our world forward.
Think bright, lead brighter, and see you soon.
Pawel Halicki
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