HOW WE'LL THRIVE

Nothing will ever be the same, we’re told. The world is forever different. That may be true in some ways. We may want and create new things; we may engage with new technologies; we may be focused on new problems to solve. But let’s not forget: We can flourish in this new world, just as we did in the old. There’s still a bounty of possibilities, and an open sky for our ambitions. We do not need to settle for less. We can thrive. We will thrive. Here’s how.

The Next Wave of Innovation

The best ideas are born from necessity—and right now, the world desperately needs good ideas. If past crises have taught us anything, it’s that entrepreneurs will rise to the challenge and help create a smarter, brighter, better tomorrow on the other side of tragedy.

by HAMZA MUDASSIR

BLACK SWAN EVENTS, such as global recessions and pandemics, change the trajectory of governments, economies, and businesses—altering the course of history, often for the better. The Black Death in the 1300s contributed to the dissolution of the feudal system in Europe and put us on the road to a modern employment contract. A mere three centuries later, a deep economic recession— thanks to the Hundred Years’ War between England and France—helped kick-start a major innovation drive that radically improved agricultural productivity.

Fast-forward and the SARS pandemic of 2002–2004 catalyzed the meteoric growth of a then-small e-commerce company called Alibaba, helping establish it at the forefront of retail in Asia. The financial crisis of 2008 also produced its own happy side effects. Airbnb and Uber shot up in popularity across the West as the subprime crisis meant lower savings and income for the masses, forcing people to share rooms and car rides to cover for the deficit.