Shaan Puri sold his company to Twitch because of Mark Zuckerberg.

Before the shift from text to video happened, Mark Zuckerberg’s insight was that video will become the next “mega trend” after mobile.

Shaan Puri, who had never before heard use the term “mega trends” listened up and pivoted their entire company from text to live video streaming.

Companies that pivoted to video streaming and content creation early in this wave reaped enormous benefits, even if they weren't the first movers.

Shaan’s company then got bought by Twitch, the leading live streaming platform at that time.

And when we got acquired by Twitch it just was because we were partially in the right space. Like for live video streaming there weren't that many people working on it in interesting ways.

But the category “live video” kept growing, kept growing and kept growing at this really fast rate.

It was smart to get out of the predominant game “text” during the mobile trend and get on the Mega Trend “video”.

Similarly, businesses that have aligned with the sustainability trend, focusing on renewable energy, eco-friendly products, and sustainable practices, have found themselves riding a wave of increasing consumer demand and regulatory support.

The Imperative of Identifying and Surfing Mega Trends at all Costs

Identifying and exploiting megatrends will be the quintessential differentiator between mere survival and unparalleled success.

The discourse around market research often gets ensnared in the trappings of broad-stroke strategies, technological advancements, and global economic shifts.

You might find yourself deeply researching market dynamics, consumer interests, losing sight of what matters in the nuanced micro.

What are the transient and the transformative dimensions?

What are the subtleties of change instead of the static numbers, the fluctuations that truly matter?

How can we identify and align with the colossal forces that will shape our future: the mega trends, the tidal waves?

that, once recognized, simplify the complexity of decision-making and strategic planning, leaving us only with having to find the audacity to act upon them.

The key to unlocking untold opportunities lies in understanding the magnitude of these waves and positioning ourselves to ride them, even if it means not catching the wave perfectly.

But mega trends are the massive, transformative forces that redefine the landscape, creating tidal waves of opportunity for those astute enough to recognize and ride them.

The Essence of Mega Trends

Instead of so many fleeting market fads mega trends are deep, sustained movements that shape societies, economies, and the way businesses operate.

From the digital revolution to the shift towards sustainability, or the rise of artificial intelligence, mega trends have the power to influence a myriad of sectors and create a new paradigm.

Recognizing a mega trend requires looking beyond the immediate horizon, understanding the fundamental shifts in how people live, work, and interact with the world around them.

Shopping online? Well, the internet made it possible.

Shopping in your store but buying online? Well, the internet made it possible and you just cannot measure it.

Identifying 'The Thing'

Recognizing these mega trends requires a blend of analytical rigor and intuitive foresight. It involves more than a superficial scan of the horizon; it requires a deep, insightful analysis intertwined with an understanding of historical patterns, current anomalies, and potential inflection points.

Why now?

This is the question you get asked by investors

Why now is also the question you should ask yourself.

It's about recognizing the signals amidst the noise, those harbingers of change that signify the emergence of a tidal wave.

For instance, the early signals of the digital transformation were not merely in the advent of new technologies but in the changing human behaviors and expectations around connectivity and accessibility.

Similarly, the green revolution's roots were traceable not only in technological advancements but in a shifting societal ethos towards sustainability and responsibility.

The Simplification Power of Megatrends through Focus

The magic of mega trends lies in their ability to simplify strategic decision-making.

Understanding the overarching direction of a mega trend simplifies the otherwise daunting complexity of global markets. In a world awash with information and opportunities, it's easy to get lost in the noise of minor shifts and short-term prospects.

However, by identifying and understanding the mega trends at play, you, businesses, investors, and policymakers can focus their energy and resources on what truly matters and filter out the noise of short-lived fads and minor fluctuations, focusing instead on the transformative shifts that offer the most significant opportunities for impact and return.

This clarity of focus is invaluable, enabling the allocation of resources, innovation, and strategic effort towards areas with the highest potential for long-term success.

This strategic simplification allows for a clearer path forward, uncluttered by the myriad of small waves that constantly vie for attention.

It simplifies decision making.

But as April Dunford says: don’t position yourself with the trend as the value proposition. Use it as a cherry on top of your positioning. The best example: We suddenly have all these AI companies now. But it is not enough to say you use AI or use a .ai Domain like everyone used a .com domain.

It simplifies decision making insofar as a rising tide lifts all boats.

So even if you ride the tidal wave on a wooden barndoor you’ll likely be a super successful surfer out there.

Even if you ride a wave half-hazardly it will pull you forwards, that’s the law of nature. All you have to manage is to stay on the wave at all cost.

And make the decision to ride it.