The Future 101

The Future 101
The Future 101 is an ongoing, graduate level course of study that presents a superior knowledge of futurity. It explores, in detail, the disintegration of the Industrial Age civilization and its economic, cultural and political institutions and the emergence of the global, Information Age and its institutions. It is presented at the graduate level which means that we consider not just what is going to happen but also why and how.

While The Future 101 is an academic course of study it is not exclusively theoretical in its approach. It is also intended to be a pragmatic foundation upon which the subscriber can identify and formulate effective Information Age career, cultural, political and economic goals and strategies and build an personally effective future, what we call a finely crafted life.' During its presentation, often we will discuss specific career options, market entry strategies and funding options. We will discuss options for the formulation, implementation and participation in the subscriber's chosen Culture of Affluence.

The Future 101 is, however, steadfastly academic and not visionary. It does not advocate for any specific future. Rather it identifies the forces at work and forecasts how they will interact to create the future. Many groups will emerge that will advocate for preferred futures. The Future 101 strives to identify them and to forecast how they will likely behave and their likely range of success. It is very important to recognize that the future 101 provides a superior knowledge of futurity rather than predicting a specific future state.

It subscribes to the idea of 'The Cone of the Possible' as displayed here.  The magenta is the 'cone of inertia'.  It contains the future if nobody and/or nothing deflects the direction we are going.  Below, in grey, are worse outcomes and above, in blue, are better outcomes.  Above that is, again, grey because these are the utopian futures.  The Future 101 refers to the entire cone of the possible as 'the future' while assuming that the actual trajectory will be somewhere in the blue. The actual cone of the possible is, of course, multivariate and, consequently, its depiction would need to be hyperdimensional.

The first year of The Future 101 is a presentation of the fundamental knowledge base that is required to properly interpret the ongoing portion of study. If it was presented in a classic Industrial Age graduate school format, it would likely be 6 semester credits and cost well over $7,500. Because it is presented in an Information Age fashion, which is autodidactic and self assessed, it is only $300.

While it is not expensive, monetarily, it is a significant commitment of time.  Tje direct articles will likely total about 200,000 words and, as such, can be read by most college level readers in about 20 hours.  However, that would be like attending the lectures but never reading any of the assigned work.  A realistic time budget would be around 300 hours.  While non-trivial, it is about 25 hours per month and can usually be squeezed into even busy schedues.

In subsequent years The Future 101 will be more of a news service providing ongoing updates on events as they take place. Consequently, it can reasonably be a 'pay-as-you-go' $25 per month, though it may be prepaid at the subscribers option.

When we have a sufficient subscriber base we will begin scheduling both online and bricks and mortar conferences, seminars, colloquies, etc. These will be at extra cost.  However, they will allow an interaction that will deepen the subscriber's understanding of the issues.  It will also assist in integrating what has been learned into life strategies and goals.

The Future 101 does not engage in advocacy nor does it strive to create any specific future. However, subscribers will be presented with very exciting options for business, social and cultural development. Without advocacy or endorsement, we will provide venues that will allow subscribers to identify and organize for any and all legitimate purposes, including funding, enterprise and community development.

Investors
A proper understanding of the article, "The Death of Captialism" will lead the reader to the understanding that the private equity markets will routinely lead to 'buy and hold' opportunities yielding 50% per year or higher returns.  Our tag line, 'Turn $10,000 into $10,000,000 in 10 years or less' is not reliant upon arcane knowledge or esoteric analytical techniques, but rather a recognition of the factors that drive usual Information Age returns, upon success, to these levels. 

Yes, this will radically transform significant portions of the global economy.  However, of greater personal significance, it can radically alter your financial future.  If you can turn $10,000 into $10,000,000 in 10 years, then you can turn $10,000,000 into $10,000,000,000 in the next ten years.  In other words, there really is no limit to your affluence, if you have the requisite knowledge and skills.

Most people will not, even if they do follow the private equity gold rush, have this level of success.  However, with 97% of the 2040 global economy yet to be created, many will have very significant positive, even life transforming, results.  There are two important areas of knowledge and skills you will need. 

First, you need to be able to pick a winner.  This is strictly a business acumen skill based upon one's knowledge of what the important success factors for an enterprise are.  The Future 101 will not provide you with that business education.  However, it will tell you how the success factors will change during the Transformation and into the Golden Age.

Second, you need to understand the nature of future society, itself.  Products and services that work today, won't work then.  Products and services that will work then will appear like dogs today.  The Income Explosion, The Age of Boutique Everything and the Cultures of Affluence, especially, will completely modify whole markets.  If you understand these factors, you are far more likely to recognize a winner when it is presented to you.

An added benefit of subscribing to the Future 101 is that, if you so wish,  you may be presented to other subscribers who are looking for investors.  Financial capital will be far less significant in the valuation of future enterprises.  However, it will remain, in much smaller doses, just as important an enabling factor for start-ups.  


Taken as a whole, subscription to The Future 101 can make the difference between a lackluster performance in the private equity markets and realizing the great potential that the Transformation offers.  Since we are talking about building portfolios of seven, eight or even nine figures (2012 USD),  the cost of subscription is truly de minimis.

Entrepreneurs, Visionaries, Creatives, Intellectuals and Technologists
The sad reality is that most people will stay in Industrial Age jobs, get laid off, retrain and re-employ, only to get laid off again, until, at last, they finally decide to pursue an Information Age career.  Tragically, many of these people will fall prey to the other three horsemen of the Industrial Age apocalypse, most commonly the inability to sell their home on order to move to a new job.

The stick is very, very real and many people who think they are safe, are not.  However, the real motivator should be the carrot.  The Knowledge Class beckons.  Its easy affluence enabling finely crafted lives and the opportunity to join a self-affirming community, if properly understood, should be all the enticement one needs.

The Future 101 will provide you with the knowledge you need to properly consider your future options.  This will primarily entail choosing your Knowledge Class career, learning how to work within an Enterprise Network and choosing a Culture of Affluence or, perhaps, becoming involved in creating the Culture for which you are appropriate.

If you so choose, you may interact with other subscribers who may be potential collaborators, mentors, advisers or investors.   In other words, as you move into the future and attempt to avoid the horsemen and reach the Golden Age early, the Future 101 will provide you with both a road map and many of the tools you will need to succeed.

Subscription
When you subscribe to The Future 101, the first thing that you will receive is a link to the private Future 101 site.  Here you will find a growing number of very detailed articles providing you with the deep knowledge you will need to practically understand the Transformation.  Here, also, will be given links to important reading material. There are also a few audiocasts that you may download.  Additionally as our subscriber base and Fellowship rolls increase, will be invited to a growing and dynamic set of private venues intended to allow you to connect with those people who will be potential collaborators, mentors or investors.

In the end, The Future 101 is a tool that you can use for the pursuit of life success as you define it.  It is not a career site nor a self help site nor an investment advice service.  It is a comprehensive life planning tool.  Through it you will gain a more objectively supportable world view and a superior knowledge of futurity.  You will have many additional tools and services presented to you that will assist you in reaching your life goals.

Because you will receive a large amount of valuable information immediately upon subscription the first year's fee must be pre-paid.  With year two, you may continue to pay annually or you may pay monthly.