In 1999, we were a stripling high-tech business, just a couple of years old. One of the first digital agencies in the UK (only a handful of those super-early adopters survive to this day). Adaptability has been the key to surviving the greatest and most turbulent period in human history:
1999 vs 2019
News: Was Broadsheets & News at Ten. Now it’s Facebook & Apps
Computing: Desk-bound computing vs Phone & tablets in your hand
Travel: Ceefax & Travel Agents vs Trip Advisor & Booking.com
Internet: Dial-up 14k fixed-line modems vs 100mb 4G wireless
Recreational TV: 5 channels plus Sky vs Digital TV, Netflix, Prime
Music: CD vs unlimited Spotify streaming
Video: Blockbuster vs iTunes, Amazon on-demand
Reading: Paperbacks vs tablets, phones & Kindle
Groceries: The weekly shop vs Home delivery
Shopping: High St vs Amazon
Health: Local GP vs Virtual assistants
Phone: Fixed line and simple mobiles vs WhatApp, Facetime & Skype
Work: Rush-hour commuting to cubicles vs location free & flexi-working
Cars: Noxious diesel vs clean EV hybrid self-driving tech
Time: On your wrist vs ubiquity
Photographs: Kodak film cameras vs Smartphone
Security: keys & post-it notes vs multi-factor authentication & face recognition
Banking: In branch of the big 4 vs Apps & Fintech
Writing: Pen & paper vs touchscreen, dictation
Planning: Post-it notes vs Apps & Alexa
Show this list to a millennial and she or he would look in horror and befuddlement at the items from 1999. I wonder what 2039 will look like?
