As McKinsey says “the trend is your friend”…It’s the oldest adage in investing, and it applies to projecting future business performance too. Their analysis shows that capturing the waves of change, created by industry and geographic trends, is the most important contributor to business results…a company benefiting from such waves of change is 4-8 times more likely to rise to the top of future performers.


So where are the most significant waves of change, right now?

Where will growth come from?

  • Growing locally… social tensions rise, localism becomes more important than trying to be global
  • Asia matures…tapping into the new billion-person markets of ICASA (India, China, Africa, SE Asia)
  • New business models…exploring new revenues streams, new price models, new value equations.

What will be most disruptive?

  • Technological fusion…connectivity of new techs, AI and automation, networks and devices
  • Customers in the driving seat…digitally empowered customers C2B, and together C2C
  • Network revolution…from value-chains to network-based platforms, asset heavy or light

How will we win differently?

  • Rebuilding trust…finding a new social value equation, being authentic and more relevant
  • Overcoming fear…working together to outwit hacking cybercriminals, terrorists and fake news
  • Positive impact…embracing a sustainable circular economy, that shares value responsibly.


Satya Nedella, CEO of Microsoft, recognised the need to think differently within the business he inherited from Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. His new book “Hit Refresh” is a manifesto for seeing our old challenges, assumptions and prejudices, in new ways. 

By taking a different perspective, often inspired by small companies and marginal operators, he sought fresh ways of working inside Microsoft, and new solutions for personal and business customers.