You know that your company could miss the future, right?

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“I looked at lots of companies and why I thought they don’t succeed over time… And I said, what did they fundamentally do wrong? What did those companies all do wrong? And usually it’s just that they missed the future.” – Larry Page, CEO of Google

How not to miss the future: the short answer.

Step #1: Embrace Internetting. People have voted: Internetting is the foundation of the future. Yes, you read it right — Internetting is a thing. The digital has become physical.

Internetting isn’t a buzzword or a passing trend. It’s a mindset, and it’s the bridge to the best business opportunities of the future. Just look around: without Internetting, the life you love would not be possible.

Case in point: Netflix. Netflix’s ability to release entire seasons onto their streaming service all at once would be impossible without the Internet. (The Netflix way — watching your shows whenever and however you want to watch them — is obviously the best way to watch shows.)

Step# 2: Invest in things that cannot be copied or bought off the shelf.

“But hey, the Internet is like a giant copy machine — pretty much anything can be copied. Usually for next to nothing, or even for free.”

Is that what you’re thinking right now? If yes, let me remind you that only the shallow things can be copied. The truly meaningful things, the things that speak to the gut of the public, actually cannot be copied (with or without the Internet). There’s an old saying among guitar gurus: “Tone is in your fingers.” This means that even if you buy the same guitar and amp that Carlos Santana has, you will not sound like Carlos Santana. (Go ahead, open YouTube in another tab and play ‘Black Magic Woman.’)

“OK, invest in meaningful things that cannot be copied, got it. But what did you mean by ‘things that speak to the gut of the public?'” It’s simple: The money in the Internetting economy does not follow the path of the copies. The money in the Internetting economy follows the path of the things that feel right to the gut, things that display authenticity, empathy, and generosity.

Let’s go back to Netflix: for $8 per month, it will serve you hundreds of shows whenever and however you want to watch them. Contrast that with Blockbuster’s offer. Which brand embraced Internetting? Which brand better represents authenticity, empathy, and generosity? Which brand has missed the future?

Let’s wrap this up: If you don’t want to miss the future, embrace Internetting and invest in things that cannot be copied or bought off the shelf. Think: things such as fun (GEICO, Dollar Shave Club); education (Luxy Hair — check them out on YouTube); design (Tesla Motors, Method cleaning products); ease of use (Tangerine, Uber, Google, Amazon); remarkable customer service (Zappos, The Ritz Hotels); trust (Apple, PBS); etc.

Internetting isn’t a buzzword or a passing trend. It’s a mindset, and it’s the bridge to the best business opportunities of the future. If you are interested in the future, if you’re interested in investing in things that can’t be bought off the shelf, write to me. :)

Jan 23, 2016