In today’s world, it seems that the ability to spot a trend before anyone else is the biggest guarantor of success. There are those who benefitted from the bitcoin boom by buying in early, those who rose to social media stardom by being the first to hop on a trend, and those who have been able to fashion entire careers from their ability to spot a tech trend before their peers.
It seems clear that foresight is a very desirable skill for anyone to have. So, how can you see through the muddy waters of the future in order to detect a tech trend before it goes mainstream? Here are some simple tips for doing exactly that.
Does it have broad appeal?
First off, you should consider whether technology or the application of technology has the potential to have genuinely broad appeal. A trend is unlikely to really take off if it only appeals to a limited set of users. Consider the explosive rise of digital payment platforms in recent years.
It was clear to some that, even before their widespread adoption, the massive increase in smartphone penetration and non-cash payment methods meant that apps were naturally placed to take a dominant market position. To predict whether technology will become a long-term trend, always ask how many people stand to benefit from its adoption.
What are the experts noticing?
For any technology, be it an online game or a piece of hardware, you should always keep your ear close to the ground to see what experts in the field are saying about it. Many people fail to do this, despite the fact that the proximity these experts have means that they are able to gain insights on technology before anyone else. Let’s take the example of online slot games, one of the fastest-growing sub-sectors of the gaming industry today.
You could look at the latest list of the most widely-used and fastest-growing slots in the world right now as first reported on CasinoSmash, an industry expert site, to see which products are gaining traction in the market. When it comes to the alchemy of trend prediction, experts are your friends.
Stay in the loop
It is not only the experts that are worth paying attention to. In order to truly get a sense of an emerging trend, it is vital that you keep your ear close to the ground to see what the dedicated users, followers, and fans are saying. This means keeping up with conversations about specific tech trends in dedicated forums such as Reddit and Twitter.
It might help to actually set up alerts on your social media for specific posts and conversations around a potential trend that you are interested in. Oftentimes, it is those most dedicated members of the public that are able to help you predict trends – all you need to do is pay attention to the chatter.
Predicting tech trends before they happen is far from a science, but it is possible to do. All you need to do is keep your ears to the ground and use your own knowledge and research skills.
