What happens when you hold an artifact from a future that doesn't exist yet? A newspaper headline from 2045, a product manual for technology not yet invented, or a social media post from an entirely different world? These aren't just creative exercises—they're powerful tools for making abstract futures tangible.

Julian Bleecker, one of the pioneering architects of design fiction, takes us on a fascinating journey through his approach to imagining possible tomorrows. Julian shares his journey from building computers in eighth grade to pioneering design fiction, creating tangible artifacts from imaginary futures that spark meaningful conversations about tomorrow's possibilities.

• Discovered a love for technology as a child, building a Xerox 820 computer with an 8-inch floppy drive
• Needed two engineering degrees and a PhD to articulate what he'd been chasing—that "whoa cool feeling" of exploring possibilities
• Created TBD Catalog, a breakthrough project that materialized possible futures through a product catalog format
• Founded Super Seminars as experimental gatherings where no one person is the expert
• Describes design fiction as "future archaeology"—retrieving artifacts from possible futures to understand what those worlds might be like
• Emphasizes imagination as an evolutionary advantage and essential skill that needs regular exercise
• Advocates "imagining harder" as vital for navigating our rapidly changing world
• Recommends doing design fiction exercises 2-3 times weekly, 20 minutes each, to build imaginative fitness
• Works across disciplines, recently bringing design fiction approaches to policy discussions around AI

Find Julian at the following places:
His Patreon (SUPPORT HIM!) https://patreon.com/nearfuturelaboratory

*** The Patreon includes access to the coolest Discord on the planet.

His Podcast (LISTEN TO HIM!) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/near-future-laboratory-podcast/id1546452193

His LinkedIn (CONNECT WITH HIM!)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianbleecker

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Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

The key to organizational survival lies in embedding foresight deeply into company DNA, creating structures that detect change, understand implications, and adapt accordingly before crises emerge. Futurist Steve Fisher shares practical frameworks for developing this capability, regardless of team size or organizational readiness.

• Four organizational models for implementing foresight: Lone Wolf, Dynamic Duo, Special Forces Unit, and Enterprise Transformation
• Step-by-step implementation playbook covering environmental scanning, scenario thinking, and strategy connection
• Common pitfalls to avoid: academic rabbit holes, crystal ball expectations, shiny object syndrome
• Real-world success stories from retail, manufacturing, and financial services
• Practical tactics anyone can implement tomorrow, from weekly signal drops to future press releases
• DNA integration framework showing progression from basic immune system to full imagination system
• Metrics that actually work for measuring foresight success, beyond traditional ROI
• Strategies for handling resistance from time horizon skeptics, control freaks, and resource guardians

Take the 30-day challenge to start embedding foresight into your organization. Begin with one signal to track, one scenario to explore, or one assumption to challenge. The future belongs to organizations that see it coming, and it's up to you to help develop that vision.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Nicholas Badminton brings a refreshingly grounded yet visionary perspective to futures work, sharing his journey from growing up around a slaughterhouse to delivering over 450 keynotes worldwide as a renowned futurist. His approach focuses on breaking dominant narratives, finding overlooked implications, and helping organizations build futures fluency through practical, integrated methods that drive meaningful transformation.

• Began his futurist journey when his father gave him "The Usborne Book of the Future" at age eight
• Accidentally became known as a futurist after building a reputation for writing about humanity and technology
• Developed a modular keynote approach that connects global megatrends to industry-specific futures
• Created events like Future Camp and Dark Futures to explore cutting-edge thinking in collaborative settings
• Focuses on "hope engineering" - combining possibility thinking with futures work and positive psychology
• Advocates for simple, practical futures thinking that can be integrated into daily organizational operations
• Emphasizes human creativity over AI in futures work, noting AI's inability to connect weak signals creatively
• Worked with major organizations on futures projects that informed multi-billion dollar investments
• Helps organizations develop internal futures capability by mentoring staff and integrating foresight practices
• Values working with children and young people to develop futures thinking abilities early

Connect with Nicholas at futurist.com or find him on LinkedIn to learn more about his work in futures thinking.

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Welcome to episode 132! We sit down with Roger Spitz of the Disruptive Futures Institute.

Roger Spitz brings a refreshingly different perspective to the future of business and leadership. As the former global head of Tech M&A who pivoted into professional futures work, Roger's journey represents exactly the kind of transformation he advocates for—bold, purpose-driven, and responsive to a changing world.

What sets Roger apart is his holistic approach to disruption. While most futurists focus narrowly on technological innovation, Roger delves into the systemic changes reshaping our entire landscape. His Triple A framework—Anti-fragile, Anticipatory, and Agility—offers a practical operating system for navigating uncertainty that goes beyond standard playbooks.

The concept of "meta-eruptions" that Roger introduces challenges conventional thinking about trends and forecasting. As he explains, we're living in a world where "unprecedented" has become the norm, requiring fundamentally different approaches to preparation and response. His global perspective, having lived across nine countries by age 18, combined with his unconventional study of disciplines like improv comedy alongside traditional futures methodology, creates a unique lens for understanding adaptation and resilience.

In this fantastic talk, we cover:

• Developing the Triple A framework: Anti-fragile foundations, Anticipatory thinking, and Agility to reconcile long-term vision with immediate action
• Understanding "meta-eruptions" as constant, often surprising systemic changes that require a new approach beyond traditional megatrend analysis
• How global perspective and varied experiences (including studying improv comedy) enhance futures intelligence and adaptability
• Creating the Disruptive Futures Institute to address the gap between specialized fields and build a new operating system for decision-making
• Applying futures thinking to complex challenges like climate action and sustainable market transformation
• Emphasizing relevance as the ultimate test for individuals and organizations in a rapidly changing world
• Recognizing our agency to create virtuous tipping points even amid accelerating disruption

Find Roger Spitz online through LinkedIn, the Disruptive Futures Institute website, or his book "Disrupt with Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World."

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Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Catherine Roy, a designer turned strategic futurist at Thales, reveals that flying taxis and advanced air mobility face substantial social acceptance challenges beyond mere technological hurdles. Her research identified 62 criteria for social acceptability of air taxis, demonstrating the complexity of successfully introducing this transportation mode.

We touch upon many things in this episode including:

• How she transformed into a strategic futurist leading global design networks
• Research found 62 social acceptability criteria for advanced air mobility versus industry's focus on just 7-8
• Urban planners view flying vehicles as extending traffic problems into the air rather than solving mobility issues
• Capacity limitations make eVTOLs inefficient compared to mass transit (only 0-125 passengers/hour in 2040 projections)
• Entire infrastructure including vertiports and communication systems would need building from scratch
• Flying vehicles could increase social stratification between wealthy "skylanders" and ground-dwelling "flatlanders"
• Future climate priorities may overshadow investments in advanced air mobility infrastructure
• Innovation requires developing unique perspectives and courage to stand your ground against mainstream thinking

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Jake Dunegan, a visionary operating at the intersection of futures thinking and political systems, shares how experiential futures can help us reimagine governance for the 21st century challenges we face.

Drawing from his fascinating journey from anthropology to futures studies, Dunegan shares the moment he discovered a manuscript on "Quantum Politics" that proposed revolutionary ideas about constitutional design based on uncertainty rather than mechanistic balance. This epiphany eventually led him to establish the Governance Futures Lab at the Institute for the Future, where he pushes for nothing less than a renaissance in political system design thinking.

• Background in anthropology exploring fundamental questions about why people do what they do
• Discovered futures studies through a manuscript on "Quantum Politics" that proposed redesigning the US Constitution
• Co-created the Reconstitutional Convention in 2013 to bring together diverse thinkers to redesign political systems
• Developed experiential futures approaches to make possible tomorrows tangible today
• Led the Hawaii 2050 project creating immersive experiences of alternative futures
• Created pandemic simulations years before COVID-19 that explored prioritization of vaccines
• Founded the Governance Futures Lab at Institute for the Future to support political system design
• Believes our current governance structures aren't equipped for 21st-century challenge
• Emphasizes the importance of emotional connection to future possibilities, not just intellectual understanding
• Advocates for embedding futures thinking throughout our systems rather than treating it as a specialized activity
• And we find out where the best tacos and food trucks are in Austin, Texas

The conversation explores Dunegan's groundbreaking work in experiential futures—creating immersive, tangible experiences that help people feel possible futures rather than just intellectually understand them. From the Hawaii 2050 project that created four radically different versions of Hawaii's future to pandemic simulations developed years before COVID-19, Dunegan demonstrates how making futures visceral can change decision-making in profound ways.

Find Jake at jakedunegan.com or on BlueSky as dunegan23.

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An Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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🎧 Listen Now On:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

Alex Fergnani takes us on a journey from his beginnings as a martial arts student in Asia to becoming a provocative voice in futures thinking with his groundbreaking approach to foresight wisdom. His upcoming book "The Dao of Foresight" with Penguin represents a fresh approach to teaching foresight concepts through an entertaining narrative set in a fictional world.

Following a hero's journey structure, the novel follows a young disciple seeking a master to help save his endangered village. Through this adventure, readers learn foresight techniques while engaging with wisdom from Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and Confucianism. Alex shares the comprehensive world-building process behind the book—creating maps, character backgrounds, and plot structures that form a rich universe accessible to audiences from teenagers to seasoned practitioners.

Some highlights from our conversation:

• Entered futures accidentally after pursuing Asian studies and discovering a Future Studies program in Taiwan
• Views Kung Fu as the primary influence on his approach to foresight—focusing on rigorous fundamentals, discipline, and systematic processes
• Created "The Dao of Foresight" as an edutainment novel set in the Land of Pangu
• Developed a comprehensive world-building process with maps, character backgrounds, and a hero's journey narrative structure
• Believes the foresight field should first distinguish between futurism (speculation) and foresight (systematic approaches)
• Pivoting his career toward becoming a "communicator of wisdom" rather than a traditional foresight practitioner

His personal revelation that his initial attraction to foresight's ambitious scope was partly compensating for deeper psychological needs offers powerful insight for anyone drawn to futures work. Whether you're curious about alternative approaches to futures thinking or interested in how storytelling can transform complex concepts, this episode offers a thought-provoking blend of Eastern wisdom and foresight practice.

Find Alex on LinkedIn and YouTube, and join his mailing list to receive updates about "The Dao of Foresight" and when it is available here for pre-order:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4LRIMHh5SRz4dcr8aUC1qrGT5CcXsC1CRkC1PgR66tk6h1w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0

Enjoy the show!

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Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

We're launching Foundations and Futures, a special series of 100 bite-sized episodes to support our new book and make 1 million people future fluent by 2030. Each 5-7 minute episode delivers one key concept, tool, or practice to build your futures literacy from the ground up.

• 100 free episodes starting March 17th to build future fluency
• Episodes released in batches of 10 on Mondays and Thursdays
• Each episode is 5-7 minutes focused on one key foresight concept
• Series supports our book "Super Shifts: Transforming How We Live, Learn and Work in the Age of Intelligence"
• Content designed as an essential toolkit for understanding longer Think Forward episodes
• Episodes will eventually be backdated to be sequential with the overall show
• Regular interview episodes will continue alongside this special series

The future isn't something we wait for. It's something we build one insight at a time. If you're enjoying this journey into foresight, be sure to explore the rest of the series and subscribe to get the latest episodes to check out our main Think Forward show for deeper conversations on shaping tomorrow.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

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Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.