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The popularity of the horror film “It” has created some predictable losers … professional clowns. After a group of clowns had a slate of birthday party cancellations because of freaked out parents, they organized a rally in New York to prove clowns aren’t all that bad. It’s an interesting reputation challenge to imagine what you would … Read more
Just ten days before the highly anticipated Star Trek: Discovery finally premieres, Netflix released a timely list of the most frequently re-watched Star Trek episodes. If you are a trekkie, the full list will be fascinating – but I selected this story for another reason. It’s a rare look inside the treasure trove of data Netflix has about … Read more
In the first Night at the Museum film, the hero invents a “snapper” device to control your lights, but it loses to the “clapper” because clapping is easier. Simplicity doesn’t seem to be winning at Apple. Plugging in headphones is easier than finding and pairing wireless ear buds. Using TouchID is easier than FaceID. The new fast … Read more
What if you could have a stranger hand deliver your package internationally? While intriguing on paper this idea has many challenges given security concerns and the relative inconvenience of actually delivering. With all the potential pitfalls, what would it take for an idea like this to succeed? Adding a social community could be the key. … Read more
In their bid to improve upon being named the best airport in the world, Singapore’s Changi Airport is using technology to get even better. From robot chefs to smart wheelchairs, travelers are well taken care of. I find it more interesting how much of Changi’s innovation is behind the scenes. For example, giving their 600 baggage handlers … Read more
Inclusiveness is certainly a hot topic right now and so Uno and Mattel are well on trend with this announcement that they now have a version of the game for people who are colorblind. While there probably weren’t large groups of people with colorblindness clamoring for this, it’s a good example of a longstanding simple … Read more
London-based property management company Lowe Guardians has a unique business proposition for landlords of abandoned buildings: rent them out. The company has pioneered the brilliant strategy of offering young people a chance to become “guardians” of an abandoned building, living in fabricated housing often in prime locations for an unusually affordable price. If there was ever … Read more
We expect libraries to maintain an archive of humanity’s best thinking, but what if a library decided to put so-called “pulp fiction” on the shelves? The term refers to a category of cheaply printed books from the early 1900s about lust, sex, theft, betrayal and degradation that were so lowly regarded that most were “pulped” (destroyed) … Read more
As multiple hurricanes swirl around the Atlantic, this article about how to talk with climate change deniers is particularly relevant. Aside from the timeliness, it struck me that this is exactly the type of step by step guide that probably would be useful for a wide variety of other topics too. The point is, how … Read more
I once heard a CEO describe the mentality of many new marketing executives as similar to a dog peeing on a fire hydrant: they are both too focused on engaging in mostly futile attempts to establish ownership. The analogy is slightly off putting, but not all that inaccurate. In that context, this unearthed print ad … Read more
Non-Obvious Thinking is my latest book about the 4 secrets of becoming a non-obvious thinker - relesaed 10/01/2024.
Rohit Bhargava is a trend curator, founder of the Non-Obvious Company and the 3-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of ten books.
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In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.
