Over the next decade, advances in technology will bring fundamental changes to our lives. In fact, they’ll dwarf all the progress we’ve seen since the great tech revolution of the late 1990s.
Everything will change. The ways in which we work… shop… sleep… eat… travel… bank… communicate… entertain ourselves… conduct warfare… manufacture… design… distribute… create… transact… and maintain our own health… will all be different.
Although we’ve seen radical changes in technology during the last two decades – streaming video, cellphones, the internet, miniaturization, etc. – these improvements are only incremental. In fact, they are just the foundation for technology-based changes that will be exponential.
We’re on the cusp of a new revolution. And those who act now will be the first to realize the extraordinary wealth these changes will bring.
Exponential Innovation
What does “exponential” change actually mean?
In plain terms, exponential means that the larger the value is, the faster it’s growing. The growth compounds as it goes. We can see an example with a chart like the one below. Exponential changes grow quite slowly in their early stages. But when they reach a certain tipping point – the sharp “elbow” you see in the graph – they take off like a rocket.
We face one main challenge as investors when trying to find companies on the verge of exponential growth, however. The early stages of an exponential change look the same as an ordinary linear change.
As an investor, we want to be in position just before the elbow.
Think of a company like Amazon. Amazon went public on May 15, 1997. At the time, its enterprise valuation was $438 million. It generated $147.8 million in revenue that year and a mere $2.7 million in free cash flow the following year.
On a split-adjusted stock basis, Amazon rose from $1.54 per share to over $3,500 per share earlier this year. That is an incredible 180,000%+ return on investment.
The precise numbers might have changed by the time you read this research. But the point remains. Amazon delivered exponential returns to investors. Those who got in at the right time made life-changing gains.
And today, I believe we’re entering a new, faster stage of innovation across the tech landscape. Progress is accelerating.
And that’s why I’m so optimistic about the next few years…
As my longtime readers will be well-aware, I believe COVID-19 has served as that tipping point for a number of technology trends. And that’s one reason why I believe we’re on the edge of a unique opportunity…
COVID-19 Was the Tipping Point
Consider just a few of the changes that have occurred in 2020 because of the coronavirus…
Online grocery shopping has become the new normal with delivery services like Amazon (Whole Foods) and Instacart. In the first months of the pandemic lockdowns, Instacart alone experienced a fivefold jump because of demand. After seven years of losing money, Instacart will finally report a profit this year thanks to COVID-19.
And while some might choose to return to the grocery store once fears of the virus ease, you can bet that more people are growing accustomed to the added convenience that these kinds of apps and services offer.
Remote work is another trend we’ve seen accelerate this year. As recently as March, estimates said almost 6 out of every 10 Americans were working from home. And like grocery delivery, this trend will persist even after the pandemic passes.
We can already see evidence with moves like the one social media company Pinterest just made. Pinterest forked over nearly $90 million at the end of August to break its contract on a San Francisco office complex. It won’t need the space in a remote work situation.
And that means companies (and employees) are also adjusting to new forms of electronic communication and cybersecurity requirements for this kind of environment.
The list goes on…
Need prescriptions filled? Home delivery just became a norm whether we order through our local or national pharmacy. Lunch or dinner is ordered through Grubhub, Uber Eats, or DoorDash. Wine and spirits can be happily delivered to our doors as well.
Entertainment? Netflix, HBO Now, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Roku, Showtime, and Disney+ all deliver whatever we want at our convenience.
Online dating and socialization are happening via Zoom or Google Meet (Hangouts).
Transactions are being restructured to avoid contact. Retail locations now prefer self-checkouts. More advanced retail environments are evolving to “grab and go” technology similar to Amazon Go stores.
And in a light switch moment, routine health care visits are now taking place using telehealth providers.
These are just a few of the permanent changes that are happening or have already happened. There will be more.
And, yes, there are severe and exciting investment implications for the companies involved. I’ll be advising my readers to invest in the companies that are well-positioned for these changes.
And in fact, I’ve discovered the perfect way to position ourselves for this “new world order.”
It’s the very reason I hosted a special Beyond Exponential investing summit last Wednesday.
During that event I revealed how everyday investors can use the coming exponential growth in technology to build a million-dollar tech portfolio, performed lived trade demonstrations, shared my No. 1 tech investment of the next decade, and much more.
Thousands attended this online summit, but if you missed it, don’t worry… for a limited time, we’re offering a special replay for readers who couldn’t attend. But you have to act fast.
This special replay will only be available for a limited time.
To access my Beyond Exponential investor summit before it’s taken offline for good, click here.
Regards,
Jeff Brown
Editor, The Bleeding Edge