Shake No More?

I'm already seeing the signs of the end of the handshake as we know it. I received my fist bumps in Portland last week and even on the train in CT today, a good friend opted for a wave versus shaking hands -- all of this of course due to the fear of H1N1. Sociologists I'm sure are already having a field day looking at how these greeting behaviors are already changing. I predict, particularly among Gen Y and beyond, the handshake will slowly fade as it is for women who rarely shake hands. Who knows, maybe we'll see a return to the salute or the bow as in Japan. For me, I'll keep shaking hands and keep my Purell at the ready.

Sleeping Beauty

The Killer App of the next decade will be sleep. Time after time, people complain they don't sleep well due to stress or other factors (like a new baby?) And, due to the obesity epidemic, I can only imagine snoring is at an all time high (it seems so based on online advertising.) So, what is the silver bullet? The pharma company that can come up with a genuine sleep substitute will have the ultimate market cap. Imagine feeling a little run down and taking a pill (legally!) to literally add the feeling and benefit of two hours of sleep. Sounds crazy but I can imagine countless firms are already working on something similar deep in the molecule chasing labs!

The Eyes Have It

Given the rapid influx of information coming to us 24/7 and on increasingly smaller screens, I predict that there will be a massive increase in the number of people wearing corrective eyewear (glasses and contacts.) So, the smart ones will invest in companies that make optics and contact lenses. After all, while Moore's law says we'll be able to pack an increasing amount of information on smaller chips every two years – our eyes simply haven't kept up.

"That rate, since the invention of the integrated circuit in 1958, doubles the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit, approximately every two years." Gordon Moore.

The Coming Small Business Revolution

If this recession taught us anything, it is that layoffs suck and that doing anything you can to control your own destiny means everything. Be it power networking, monetizing your value or asking for a promotion, those who control their destiny seem to be coming out ahead in this mess. One observation is that as the economy recovers, all that pent up energy may come out in a new wave of small businesses. And, given that our banking community still can't get it together, these small business will likely be funded by "angel" investors - likely mom and dad. This will at least give people the ability to decide if they lay themselves off. Think of it as a Pink Slip Revoluation.