Subscribe

VIDEO: what’s next for wearables? Nobody knows

Successful venture capitalist Brad Feld has no idea where wearable tech will go in the future and genuinely does not care. To him, what is more interesting is how tech develops - and it’s rarely in the linear manner everyone likes to think.

“The rate of change of the integration of technology and human beings is happening at a pace incomprehensible to us,” Feld, who has had huge success investing in technology brands like Fitbit and Zynga, told BlueNotes on video.

" We’re always in this mindset that everything’s linear. But in fact much of the innovation curve is geometric."
Brad Feld, Venture capitalist

“We’re always in this mindset that everything’s linear. But in fact much of the innovation curve is geometric. I think we’re at a part of the curve... where there’s an incredible amount of upward scope.” 

What’s next for wearables? Nobody knows

Feld said as investors he and his partners try to have very open minds about what comes their way - but insist they are not predictors.

“The world ‘wearables’ didn’t exists when we invested in Fitbit,” he said, noting he was mocked at the time for putting money into a “digital pedometer company”.

“What appealed to me about Fitbit is something that appeals to me about many of the companies we invest in, which is the founders were completely and totally obsessed with the thing they were working on.”

He also touched on how technology will change the world in the future. Watch the video above to learn more.  

Felicia Trewin is Head of Strategy & Business Optimisation, Corporate & Commercial Banking, ANZ Australia

The views and opinions expressed in this communication are those of the author and may not necessarily state or reflect those of ANZ.

editor's picks

29 Aug 2016

VIDEO: Knowledge has no rank

Sue-Ellen Atherton | BlueNotes contributing editor

In the new world of knowledge sharing in business, old-style cascading models of information distribution don’t work. Instead, successful organisations create a collaborative mindset and instill a responsibility to share among all employees – from the C-suite to the ground floor.

23 Aug 2016

VIDEO: what every entrepreneur needs to understand about failure

Felicia Trewin | Head of Strategy & Business Optimisation, ANZ

It’s almost become a cliché for start-ups: fail fast. But according to venture capitalist Brad Feld, prospective entrepreneurs do need to critically reassess their understanding of failure if they are to succeed in the modern world of technology.

16 Aug 2016

Will fintech force banks off the road?

Tareq Muhmood | CEO Korea & Managing Director Global Subsidiaries, ANZ

I often hear about the fourth industrial revolution, the one in which digital, fintech and other disruptive innovations are creating a moment akin to when horse and carriage companies had to adjust to the launch of the motor car.