Hey, I’m Lindsay, the host of Make Sense w/ Lindsay T., Lady Engineer®, a weekly podcast where my guests and I simplify complex topics at the intersection of people & technology. We analyze whatever hot mess is in the news, evaluate trending innovations through a human-first lens, and take deep dives on a need-to-know basis.
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Folks, we made it! Introducing our milestone 50th episode of Make Sense w/ Lindsay T., Lady Engineer®, where I sit down with Mellie Chow to review her Top 10 Future Consumer Trends that will evolve over the coming 5-10 years. For each of Mellie’s trends, I share a prediction for 2024; the “baby step” taking us in that direction.
Unlike most episodes that use the 3-segment format, this episode delivers a comprehensive yet accessible overview of a diverse array of trends shaping the consumer landscape. Below, in Key Takeaways I show Mellie’s 5-10 year trend with a corresponding prediction just for 2024. For those of you interested in delving deeper, I link to other Make Sense episodes where it makes sense.
One of the simple technology lessons learned from the first 50 episodes of Make Sense is clear: The disparity between tech-enabled predictions and technological realities is often huge. For example, in my conversation with fashion designer and circular economy leader Cassandra Kane, we discussed the disconnect between the forecasted “increase of product personalization” and the reality that the fashion industry’s supply chain cannot deliver this at scale.
Similarly, my talk with Joe Meersman hits on the subjective nature of predictions, often influenced by agendas rather than grounded assessments of technological capabilities. For example, in this episode, we discuss Mellie’s prediction “Electrification of Everything Moves.” That may happen in 5-10 years but the current prediction is that our power grid cannot support that in 2024.
Recognize that predictions can evoke fear or trigger over-investment, so take each with a grain of salt. In 2023, headline hype drove fear that “AI will take our jobs!” while also driving a venture capital focus on generative AI companies that Charlie O’Donnell called out by saying, “I think we got a little over our skis here.”
Explore Mellie’s Top 10 Consumer Trends by tuning into the episode or scanning the table I created for you in the Key Takeaways below.
Choice Quote
Sixty-seven percent of all enterprises are indicating they’re folding generative AI into their overall AI strategies. Whether they’re leveraging open source, deep tech or big tech tools, we’re going to see more and more custo-bots and GenAI chat bots as it’s the simplest form factor and touchpoint for consumers to realize immediate value.
– Mellie Chow, Investor and Strategist
Buck the media hype cycle. Calm the fear-mongering. Laugh at the inanity of Tech CEO “hero culture.” Be the smartest person in your peer’s LinkedIn feed:
Key Takeaways with Mellie Chow
For this episode with Mellie, we ran through TEN predictions Mellie made that will pan out in the next 5-10 years, and I paired them with incremental predictions for 2024. Download her full Future Trends report here.
Long-Term Prediction by Mellie Chow |
Short-Term Prediction for 2024 |
Keep Sensemaking |
|---|---|---|
| The Future of Work is Spatial & Augmented | The job market will continue to bifurcate between companies that go fully remote forever, and those that go back to the office.</td | For more on this, listen to “[Ep. 48] Young Talent: The AI-Driven Education & Employment Revolution with Joe Seddon (15:17)” |
| GenAI Assistants and Bring Your Own AI Abounds | Apple: An AI sleeping giant | For more on this, listen to “[Ep. 45] Navigating The Pitfalls of Generative AI’s Post-Hype Era w/ Charlie O’Donnell (5:13)” |
| Electrification of Everything that Moves | Electricity will be in high demand – and we’re going to feel the strain | |
| Robots & Drones Take Over Everywhere | 2024 is expected to be the year when drone delivery finally takes flight | |
| Augmentality: beyond exoskeletons | IoT-Powered Virtual Hospitals And Telemedicine 2.0 advance significantly in 2024 | For more on this, listen to “[Ep. 16] Is Our Healthcare System Collapsing? w/ Investor & MD Dr. Jinsy Jacob“ |
| In-Game Advertising for Added Reach | Brands shift focus to gameplay over visual spectacles | For more on this, listen to [“Ep. 5] Where e-Commerce is Headed w/ Katie McKee (12:25)“ |
| AI for Planet; Sustainability, Circularity & Regeneration | Reporting on material sustainability issues in the value chain will be highly challenging | For more on this, listen to “[Ep. 44] Technology is Only 1-Piece of the Circular Economy Puzzle w/ Cassandra Kane“ |
| Super Apps: beyond e-Commerce | Apple will be the first SuperApp to go big in the US | |
| Democra-sizing: Personalized Accessibility | Inclusive Design as a Core Strategy | For more on Product Equity & Inclusive Design, listen to “[Ep. 7] Inclusivity in Tech w/ amelie lamont (12:29)“ |
Show Notes
00:00 Introduction
03:28 Intro to Extended ‘Crystal Ball’ Segment
03:55 The Future of Work: Spatial and Augmented
06:08 Gen AI Assistance and Bring-Your-Own AI
08:59 Electrification of Everything That Moves
12:07 Robots and Drones Take Over Everywhere
14:52 Augmented Mental and Physical Health
27:40 In-Game Advertising: Reaching Consumers Where They Are
33:35 Sustainability and Regeneration: Addressing the Climate Emergency
39:53 Super Apps: Consolidating Services into One Platform and going beyond eCommerce
45:47 Democratizing Accessibility: Inclusive Design and Personalized Accessibility
49:35 Biometric Authentication: Enhancing Security and User Experience
2024 Connected Consumer Trends: Everything, Everywhere, ALL at once
Get your FREE copy of Mellie Chow’s Top Ten Tech Innovations to transpire over the next 5-10 years. The report serves investors and founders with the information needed to make the most strategic and necessary investment decisions.
Download ReportDownload ReportWhere to find Mellie Chow
Mellie Chow is an angel investor/venture capitalist, entrepreneur, IT/Technology and Management/Strategy Consultant and Product Innovation Executive with 20+ years of experience across multiple industries including telecommunications & cable, utilities & power generation, banking, healthcare, government, and food. She is a Venture Partner for Archangel Axion and the former Executive Director of Competitive Intelligence, Research and Strategy of a fortune 50 Company.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mellie-chow
Where to find Lindsay Tabas
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaytabas
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LindsayTLadyEngineer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaytladyengineer
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Make Sense is a video-first podcast dedicated to simplifying complex issues at the intersection of people and technology. There are many!
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