Great entrepreneurs don't just predict the future; they access it directly as if it were a memory. Through meditative states, you can tune into a future reality, see what exists or is needed, and then return to the present with a clear blueprint of what to build.
Related Insights
Entrepreneurs can often bend the world to their will, but it's crucial to differentiate what they *wish* will happen versus what *must* happen due to inevitable trends. Building on the 'must happen' landscape provides a more robust foundation for a startup's long-term success.
Spontaneous innovation isn't a skill in itself; it's the result of being an expert in contemplation. The ability to quickly process, reflect, and find a new paradigm under pressure comes from a practiced ability to contemplate, not from structured innovation exercises.
Success requires an unorthodox strategy built on a detailed, pinpoint-accurate vision of the future. When opportunities arise, you can seize them faster than others because you don't hesitate; you immediately recognize how they fit into your pre-designed bigger picture.
Instead of dwelling on the past, create vivid future 'memories.' By combining a clear vision with a strong, positive emotion (like joy or gratitude), you prime your brain to align with that future reality, effectively 'remembering' it before it happens and drawing it closer to you.
An entrepreneur expected new strategies at a retreat but found the real transformation in uncomfortable embodiment practices. This shows that the next business level isn't always a new tactic, but a fundamental shift in being and operating.
Since the brain builds future predictions from past experiences, you can architect your future self by intentionally creating new experiences today. By exposing yourself to new ideas and practicing new skills, you create the seeds for future automatic predictions and behaviors, giving you agency over who you become.
To achieve long-term goals, visualize a single, perfect day in the future and describe it in the present tense across all life domains. This technique "programs" your unconscious mind—which doesn't distinguish between now and the future—by giving it a clear destination, like a GPS postcode.
The vague advice to 'live in the future' becomes practical when you use emerging tech (like AI agents in 2022) to solve your own business problems. By being an early adopter, you encounter the novel challenges that the mass market will face in 1-2 years, revealing the next wave of demand before it's obvious.
Brad Jacobs uses a unique meditation technique where he expands and contracts his mental focus across vast scales of time and space, like an accordion. This practice helps him see business problems in their proper proportion, fostering humility, purpose, and wisdom by providing a grander context for daily challenges.
Nubar Afeyan argues that companies should pursue two innovation tracks. Continuous innovation should build from the present forward. Breakthroughs, however, require envisioning a future state without a clear path and working backward to identify the necessary enabling steps.