tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7815640431651173676.post3278223214315517269..comments2024-01-01T23:38:31.538+00:00Comments on Faster Future: Possibilities now and beyond: The Perfect Storm: A fourth element?David Cushmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09626601471173841299noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7815640431651173676.post-43646876008981027272008-01-02T15:09:00.000+00:002008-01-02T15:09:00.000+00:00I'd augment your reading by going back to the sour...I'd augment your reading by going back to the source - 'Wealth of Nations' by Adam Smith, which nailed the fundamentals of human economic activity over 200 years ago. You correctly pinpoint human economic development is intrinsically linked to efficiency. Markets to moderate supply and demand, value chain specialisation to maximise production etc. The internet has already made massive contribution in these areas, and that's why so many companies moved quickly to gain those benefits. The functions of markets particularly are about free flow of information - the buyer who knows the full range of prices offered by all sellers in the market is massively empowered. So in all that I agree - more to come. However, the particular economic model we pursue across most of the world is also about PRODUCTion - the definition and delivery of products for customers, and the success/failure of these based on the competitive advantage they have over other products of that type. In this respect, Google's success is not due to the fact its products were built upon a complex adaptive system, but that its products WERE ADVANTAGED over others (it was not and remains not the world's sole search engine - it has plenty of impoverished competitors). Basic competitive advantage remains offering a product of perceived higher value produced at a competitive cost.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10585503921448941357noreply@blogger.com