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In the next 10 years, the trend of development has changed

2025-04-30

In the next 10 years, the trend of development has changed

Notes Hero

·March 15, 2025 16:10

We cannot change the cycle, but we must be aware of these trends.



Content source: Part 8 of Drucker's "The Practice of Management".


The 8872nd in-depth article: 8507 words | 25 minutes to read


Note Lord said:


Only by following the trend can we achieve twice the result with half the effort.


Especially for entrepreneurs, don't look at cycles, but at trends.


This year, as the conclusion of the 14th Five Year Plan and a key milestone in the planning of the 15th Five Year Plan, the just concluded Two Sessions passed a series of important resolutions covering areas such as economy, science and technology, people's livelihood, and the rule of law.


From these resolutions, we can see the direction of the country, and there are also many opportunities for trends hidden within them.


Throughout the development of enterprises, many successful entrepreneurs have set future goals early on.


As Drucker said, setting goals is to determine what actions should be taken today in order to achieve results tomorrow, based on expectations for the future.


Therefore, in order to achieve our goals, we must take action to shape the future, weigh today's means and future outcomes, and strike a balance between the near future and the distant future.


In today's article, we will use the analytical model in Chapter 8 of Drucker's "The Practice of Management" titled "Today's Decisions, Tomorrow's Results" to find our own opportunities from these trends.


Whether it is a national resolution or a business decision, in most cases it takes many years to truly take effect, and even more so, many years before there can be real output.


So, entrepreneurs have no choice but to predict future development and try to shape the future, striking a balance between short-term and long-term goals.


To do these two things well is far beyond the ability of ordinary people, but although lacking the guidance of heaven, the leaders of enterprises must not underestimate these difficult responsibilities and must do their best to fulfill their duties.


Predicting developments in 5, 10, or 15 years is usually just a guess. But guessing based on systematic knowledge is different from relying solely on intuition, and there is still a difference between guessing based on rational evaluation and guessing like gambling.


1、 Get rid of dependence on economic cycles

Any enterprise exists in a large economic environment, so when planning for the future, it is necessary to pay attention to changes in overall operating conditions.


However, what the top leaders of enterprises need is not just the business environment prediction in the minds of ordinary people, that is, attempting to predict tomorrow's weather or interpret the business environment in three to five years, or even 10 years.


The top leaders of enterprises need tools that allow them to think and plan freely without being constrained by economic cycles.


At first glance, this seems to be a paradoxical and self contradictory statement. The economic cycle is certainly an important factor. Whether a decision is implemented during a prosperous period or a depressed period will have different impacts on its effectiveness and success.




The uniform advice of economists to invest capital during the trough of economic recession and suppress expansion and new investments during the peak of economic prosperity seems to be just the most basic common sense.


In fact, this suggestion is not more useful and effective than buying at a low price and selling at a high price. Although this suggestion is good, how should it be implemented? Who knows which stage of the economic cycle we are currently in?


However, the average accuracy of economists in the past was not very good, and the probability of success for business people was not much better (remember in 1944-1945, everyone predicted that the post-war economy would begin to decline). Even though this suggestion is good, utilizing the economic cycle is still an impractical suggestion.


If business people could really follow this suggestion, there would never have been an economic boom or recession from the beginning. The reason why the economy experiences polarized fluctuations is precisely because, from a psychological perspective, this suggestion is simply not feasible.


In times of economic prosperity, almost everyone believes that this can broaden the horizon without any restrictions. However, when the economy falls to the bottom, everyone believes that this round of economic prosperity can never be restored and will continue to decline or remain at the bottom forever, unable to turn over.


If we keep thinking around the economic cycle, we will be manipulated by this mentality, and no matter how good the original intention is or how clever the economist's analysis is, we will make wrong decisions because of it.


So, how should business leaders make plans for the next 5, 10, or even 20 years?


Drucker provided three tools, believing that regardless of the current economic situation, businesses need to use these tools to plan for the next 3 or 7 years.


Let's talk one by one.


2、 Be prepared for the worst

Firstly, we can assume that the economy will always fluctuate without attempting to speculate on which stage of the economic cycle the current economy is in.


In other words, by analyzing past experiences, identify the worst possible or most likely serious setbacks that may be encountered, and use them to test current business decisions.




In this way, business decisions do not have to be constrained by speculation about the economic cycle.


This method cannot tell us whether a decision is right or wrong, but it can display the maximum and minimum cyclical risks involved. Therefore, when evaluating the necessary minimum profit for a company, it is the most important predictive tool.


This analysis strategy is undoubtedly the most proficient used by Huawei in China.


In 2000, Huawei's annual sales reached 22 billion yuan, with a profit of 2.9 billion yuan, ranking first among the top 100 electronic companies in China, and its performance was excellent. In 2001, Ren Zhengfei delivered the famous speech "Huawei's Winter".


At that time, many people did not believe it. In 2002, Huawei really ushered in a "winter". Ren Zhengfei claimed to have been depressed at that time, crying and waking up in the middle of the night, and even sold Huawei Electric to cope with the crisis.


Since then, crisis awareness has been ingrained in Huawei's DNA. So after being included in the "Entity List" by the United States in 2019 and being choked by chips, Huawei unveiled its spare tire plan, and the HiSilicon chip, which had been developed for many years, turned positive overnight.


It is precisely this sense of crisis that enables Huawei to resolve crises with minimal losses in the face of repeated crises.


3、 Basic element analysis

The second tool is relatively difficult to master, but has greater effectiveness.


This tool makes decisions based on events that may have a significant impact on the future economy, focusing on past events that have already occurred and have no economic significance, rather than predicting the future; Attempting to identify the fundamental factors that affect the economic environment, without speculating about the future economic environment.


Drucker once mentioned a case where a company decided to switch to becoming a manufacturer of fuse boxes and circuit breakers after World War II.


This decision is based on the fundamental factors that affect economic development - from 1937 to 1943, there was a growing trend of new families and changes in population structure in the United States.


By 1943, it was evident that the demographic trend in the United States had undergone a fundamental change, even if the conclusions of demographic experts were correct - they predicted that high birth rates were a short-lived phenomenon during wartime and would decline after the war (this was the most unfounded and hasty speculation in history, and still could not change the fact that the new family formation rate had risen sharply from its low point in 1937, far exceeding the numbers during the Depression).


Even though the formation rate of new families and the birth rate declined again after the war, these new families still need houses to live in.


In addition, the real estate market has been stagnant for nearly 20 years, so there is an astonishing demand for residential properties. The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that unless the United States is defeated, the post-war construction industry is bound to be very prosperous.


If there were a severe economic depression in the United States after World War II, the housing construction plan would be led by the government. In fact, both population trends and housing supply and demand indicate that building housing will inevitably become an important policy for the government to combat economic recession.




If the post-war US economy had become increasingly prosperous, and this was indeed the case later on, then the real estate market would have developed even more vigorously, and private housing would have been built in large numbers. In other words, regardless of whether the post-war economic situation is good or bad, residential construction will thrive.


Enterprises decide whether to enter a new industry based on the analysis of trends that have already occurred and are expected to affect future economic development. Therefore, even when making long-term plans, business operators can still confidently say that they are not actually predicting the future.


Of course, population structure is just one of the fundamental elements. During the period just after World War II, population structure may have been the main factor affecting the economic development of the United States, but at other times, population structure may have been a secondary or even unrelated factor.


However, the basic method still applies universally: identify past non economic events that have affected the economic environment, and then make future decisions based on them.




For example, the silver haired economy and aging that everyone has been discussing in the past two years are actually changes in population structure.


So, what trends and business opportunities will arise under such demographic changes?


1. Background Overview


In October last year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the National Aging Office released the "2023 National Aging Development Bulletin". According to the announcement, as of the end of 2023, there will be 296 million elderly people aged 60 and above in China, accounting for 21.1% of the total population; There are 216 million elderly people aged 65 and above, accounting for 15.4% of the total population.


This is the real background of the silver economy.


2. Impact on traditional consumer industries


① Six new characteristics of elderly consumption


Money in your pocket: By 2025, China's population aged 60 and above will reach 300 million, the pension scale will exceed 10 trillion yuan, and disposable income will increase by 60% compared to ten years ago.


Spending money more freely: The proportion of elderly people with a bachelor's degree or above has increased from 5% in 2010 to 18% in 2023, and they are more willing to pay for a quality of life.


Health ranks first: According to data from a certain e-commerce platform, the annual growth rate of the middle-aged and elderly nutrition and health care category exceeds 40%, and the sales of smart blood pressure monitors have tripled in three years.


Spiritual abundance: The number of applicants for senior universities has increased by an average of 25% annually, with 60+users on tourism platforms traveling 3.2 times per year, and per capita consumption exceeding 10000 yuan.


Numbers do not fall behind: WeChat has over 120 million silver haired users, with a mobile payment usage rate of 78%, and an annual growth rate of over 300% for online consultation users.


Exclusive customization: The number of orders for customized elderly clothing services has increased by 120% annually, and the demand for aging friendly renovations covers over 30% of old residential areas.


② How can traditional industries adapt to this trend?


Firstly, the retail industry




Product upgrade: such as launching sugar free foods, sleep aid mattresses, smart medication boxes, and other anti-aging products.


Scenario reconstruction: For example, optimizing supermarket routes and adding reading glasses to shelves to facilitate elderly users to see labels clearly.


Service innovation: For example, Suning has launched the "Silver Age Classroom" and 2000 stores provide mobile teaching services.


Channel sinking: Develop online shopping platforms and apps suitable for the elderly, and provide home delivery services. For example, JD Home has launched a senior version, with a popular consumption model of "mobile ordering and delivery within hours" among the elderly.


Secondly, the tourism industry


Health and wellness routes: such as designing hot spring therapy and traditional Chinese medicine wellness routes.


Quality service: For example, Ctrip's "Parents' Safe Travel" program emphasizes safety and service.


Intelligent empowerment: For example, the AR scenic spot guide launched by Fliggy enhances the travel convenience for elderly tourists.


Thirdly, the entertainment industry


Cultural consumption: Launch cultural performances, art training and other activities suitable for the elderly.


Education market: Develop senior universities and launch interest classes covering fields such as art, technology, and health.


Digital Entertainment: Create digital entertainment content suitable for the elderly, such as the Candy Bean Square Dance App, which has over 80 million users and over 12 million daily active users.


3. Opportunities brought to the industrial sector


① A nursing home that regards people as human beings


In China, some nursing homes provide "seat belts" for the elderly and tie them to chairs or beds in order to "manage" them well.


Why? Afraid of the elderly falling off chairs during the day and rolling off beds at night, afraid of danger. It sounds kind, but this is not 'treating the elderly as human'.


The elderly are old, but not foolish. They have thoughts and emotions, tie people to bed, restrict freedom, are you willing?


In Japanese nursing homes, elderly people cannot be "restrained". There is a saying in Japanese nursing homes: constraints are meant to be lifted. Unable to submit a plan to release constraints means that constraints cannot be implemented.


In addition, some nursing homes in China also treat them differently. If you have children, take good care of them and be afraid that they will cause trouble. Without children, it's really unfortunate because there are no consequences.


But in Japan, every elderly person has a guardian. No children, arranged by the government. Guardians will regularly visit the elderly, and major matters need to be discussed with them. This is seeing people as human beings. This is the direction of human social evolution.


② Insight into the needs of the elderly and strive for excellence


The trend of aging can be seen by everyone, but the trend itself is not worth it. After seeing the trend, one must have a profound insight into customer needs.




Zhang Jingkang, founder of Zuilijian, said: Elderly people are not a sinking market with poor consumption power. The elderly are a differentiated market with unique demands.


He said so and did so.


Foot Health conducts research on the shoes of the elderly and also studies their feet. Go to parks, markets, supermarkets, and even home visits to test the feet of thousands of elderly people and identify their unique shoe wearing issues.


What's the problem? Squeezing, grinding, and slipping. But just discovering problems is not enough, there must be a solution.


Analyze the foot shape data of the elderly from seven dimensions and solve the problem.


Elderly shoes need to be designed with a separate shoe last that is wider than regular shoes and has a wider toe to fit properly, thus developing more professional and comfortable elderly shoes.

The heel of the shoe is designed with a U-shaped heel, and the back of the insole is flipped up. The sponge covers the heel to prevent abrasion. The arch of the foot has a 'arch support', which disperses pressure, makes walking less tiring, and also prevents sprains.

Young people's shoes are cool but unstable, while the soles of elderly people's shoes need to be large to be stable. The toe has a collision resistant head to prevent tripping. Choose a shoe sole material that is non slip and cannot lock up, otherwise it will also cause a fall.

This is not about studying shoes and their needs, but about studying the physiological structure, living scenarios, behavioral data, and daily habits of the elderly. This is the pinnacle of research and product development.


③ Business towards goodness, making the sunset more beautiful


In the future, there may be 300 million elderly people in China, and some say that over one-third of the population are elderly. From the perspective of the elderly, what do they want? What do people born in the 1970s and 1980s want when they get old?


The elderly want not to be lonely, disconnected, or left behind spiritually. This depends on the principle of 'business for good'.


We should not only consider how to make money when entering the silver economy, but also approach the lives of the elderly infinitely, putting ourselves in their shoes to think about how to meet their needs.


Many people think of "silver economy" and think of elderly care real estate, building houses and nursing homes. That's right, but I didn't think deeply about it.


The elderly are segmented and their needs are also stratified. The "former silver haired generation" and "energetic silver haired generation" aged 50 to 70 may not want nursing homes, but rather to maintain health and vitality.


There is a set of data:


Elderly people buy sports equipment four times a year, while aunties from Beijing and Shanghai travel three times a year. Enrollment in senior universities is four times higher than enrollment, and there are nearly 100000 educational institutions for the elderly. Older people travel, attend university, start businesses, and remarry.


Elderly people aged 70 to 80 with minor health problems require professional wearable devices and mild care.


80 to 90 years old, with poor health and frequent illnesses, require professional medical resources.


Over the age of 90, one may experience a "centenarian" life, with some falling ill and passing away, while others may end up dead. They need end-of-life care, a comfort. Someone needs to tell them how to bid farewell to this world elegantly.


The aging population has arrived, with different demands and opportunities. What are the chances?


A market exceeding 20 trillion yuan.


This means that more professional business forces need to join. We still have a lot to think about and improve.


For example, is there a "senior version of idle fish"? Is there an exclusive social platform for the elderly? Are there any elderly people interested in learning platforms? Can commercial centers be adapted to aging and become the preferred choice for elderly gatherings?


4、 Basic element analysis

Although basic element analysis is the best tool we have at hand, there is still a long way to go before perfection. Because we cannot guarantee that anything will definitely happen in the future.


Even if what is bound to happen does happen, we still cannot estimate the time when it will happen.


Therefore, we must not use the fundamental element analysis method alone. We also need a third tool to reduce predictive risk for testing: trend analysis, which is also a commonly used method today.


Fundamental element analysis attempts to explore why future events will occur, while trend analysis asks questions about the likelihood and speed of their occurrence.


The assumption underlying trend analysis is economic phenomena. For example, household electricity usage or how much of every $1 household income is spent on life insurance is a long-term trend that does not change quickly or fluctuate unpredictably.


This trend may be disrupted by cyclical fluctuations, but after a long period of time, it will eventually return to its original trend. In the terminology of statisticians, a 'trend curve' would be a 'real curve' spanning 10, 15, or 20 years.




So, trend analysis is about identifying unique trends about the development of a company. With these trends, companies don't need to pay too much attention to short-term economic cycles when making long-term decisions.


After the end of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, we can also see many trends, such as the emerging and future industries mentioned in the government work report:


1. Emerging and Future Industries


① Emerging industries


Commercial aerospace: promote the improvement of satellite Internet, rocket launch and other industrial chains. The market size will reach 658.2 billion yuan in 2023, focusing on the layout of Beijing "South Arrow North Star", Shanghai satellite manufacturing, Hainan launch site and other regions.


Low altitude economy: covering scenarios such as drone logistics, low altitude tourism, emergency rescue, etc., with a market size of 505.95 billion yuan in 2023 and expected to exceed one trillion yuan by 2026.


Policy support for safety supervision and large-scale development, such as piloting low altitude aircraft public safety control platforms in Guangdong, Hunan and other places.


Intelligent connected new energy vehicles: Deepen the application of autonomous driving and vehicle networking technology, with global sales exceeding 14 million vehicles by 2023, accounting for over 60% of China's total. The policy extends the reduction of purchase tax until 2027 and promotes the coverage of charging and swapping networks in 90% of counties.


New generation information technology: 5G large-scale application is accelerated, industrial Internet and computing resources are optimized and coordinated, and the goal is to build an internationally competitive digital industry cluster.




② Future industries


Biomanufacturing: With synthetic biology as the core, developing bio based materials to replace chemical raw materials, the market size is expected to reach 2 trillion yuan by 2033. Key breakthroughs will be made in strain construction and biorefinery technology, promoting applications in the fields of medicine and agriculture.


Quantum technology: Quantum technology is the forefront direction of today's technology field, covering multiple important branches such as quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum measurement.


The report 'Quantum Technologies for State and Commerce: Current Status and Future' states that the global quantum communication market is expected to reach $20 billion by 2035, with the majority of the market share coming from devices and infrastructure.


Embodied intelligence: also known as humanoid robots, as it was first included in the government work report, it is enough to demonstrate its importance and development potential. At the technical level, the current focus is on breaking through core technologies such as joint control and sensor integration.




The quadruped robots and humanoid robots launched by Yushu Technology shone brightly on the Spring Festival Gala; Ubiquitous vigorously promotes humanoid robots in education, services, and other fields, allowing robots to enter schools, shopping malls, and other places.


6G communication: 6G is positioned as the technological foundation for low altitude economy and commercial aerospace. The government has proposed to "optimize computing power layout", "accelerate satellite communication research and development", and support the integration of air, space, earth, and sea networks. In the future, 6G communication will be widely applied in fields such as intelligent connected vehicles and drone logistics.


Brain computer interface and photon technology: Brain computer interface technology is dedicated to achieving direct communication between the brain and external devices.


Represented by QiangBrain Technology, they have achieved many results in the research and development of brain computer interface technology and product applications, launching a series of brain computer interface devices for medical rehabilitation, neuroscience research and other fields.


Photon chips in photon technology have advantages such as high speed and low energy consumption, and have broad application prospects in data centers, communications, and other fields.


18 tracks to change the global business landscape


In the fourth quarter of last year, McKinsey released a report titled 'The next big arena of competition'.


This report, spanning over 200 pages, provides a detailed analysis of the 18 tracks that are most likely to change the global business landscape in the future, and predicts that by 2040, these 18 tracks will generate revenues ranging from $290000 to $48 trillion, contributing 18-34% of global GDP growth.


① E-commerce


McKinsey predicts that by 2040, e-commerce's share of global retail revenue may reach 27% -38%, currently around 20%.


The growth point of the e-commerce industry lies in the market expansion in developing countries or the growth of new categories in developed countries, such as healthcare, jewelry, handicrafts, and other products with more emotional value.


Because they are easier to sell on social e-commerce through storytelling. From a global perspective, whether it is customer acquisition on e-commerce platforms or last mile delivery, there is a high probability of significant investment.


② Electric vehicles


Whether in passenger cars or commercial vehicles, the share of electric vehicles will continue to increase. McKinsey predicts that the proportion of electric vehicles in global passenger car sales will exceed 50% by 2040.


Breakthroughs in battery technology and innovations in intelligent algorithms will also be important influencing factors. Both electric vehicle companies and traditional car companies will increase their investment in research and development.


③ Cloud services


The world is becoming more interconnected, which places higher demands on storage and computing capabilities for businesses. New AI products require even more computing power.


According to McKinsey's analysis, the industry's revenue has a compound annual growth rate of 17% from 2005 to 2020, and is expected to grow at a similar or slightly slower rate in the coming decades.


④ Semiconductor


Semiconductors are the cornerstone of the digital world. The demand in many fields will drive the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry.




For example, computing and data storage, automotive, communication, and industrial electronics. McKinsey predicts that the semiconductor industry will continue to experience a compound annual growth rate of 6% -8% in the next decade.


⑤ AI software services


AI is developing too rapidly, and McKinsey has specifically listed it as a separate field. More and more people are using AI assistants. AI companies are also engaged in an arms race to build the most advanced foundational models and applications.


⑥ Digital Advertising


Digital advertising refers to providing advertising services through search, social networking, and media. From a global perspective, as the middle class who access the internet increases and each person spends more time online, the commercial value of digital advertising is continuously expanding.


The continuous advancement of algorithms has also improved the platform's ability to locate customers and track advertising costs. But between platforms, in order to compete for users' attention, it is necessary to increase investment and create content that can attract users the most.


⑦ Streaming Video


Due to the increasing investment in customer acquisition and content production, streaming platforms may need to find more profitable ways to innovate themselves.


A large number of developing countries may provide incremental revenue for streaming media content subscriptions and advertising.


McKinsey predicts that by 2040, the number of households subscribing to long video services may exceed 1 billion.


⑧ Share autonomous vehicle


With the implementation of autonomous driving technology, in the future, we may no longer need to buy cars. However, this future may be slower.


According to McKinsey's prediction, in 2040, shared autonomous vehicle may account for 25% to 51% of shared travel revenue.


⑨ Space


Whether you like it or not, our world may soon enter the era of space economy. Before SpaceX, the aviation industry was basically considered an industry that produced "disposable" luxury goods with extremely high costs.


Nowadays, even heavy rockets can be classified as "recyclable". Until achieving "flight like" like an airplane.


⑩ Network Security


According to McKinsey data, in 2020, the direct economic losses caused by cybercrime were approximately $950 billion, and indirect losses could reach $4-6 trillion. But as the magic grows taller, more and more companies are beginning to pay attention to cybersecurity, increase investment, and increase cybersecurity spending.


⑪ Battery


Batteries have made breakthrough progress in technology. In the past few decades, the energy density (energy to weight ratio) of batteries has increased to approximately three times its previous level. The global energy transition has driven the demand for batteries.


For example, the development of electric vehicles, energy storage, and the sustained growth of consumer electronics products. According to McKinsey's prediction, by 2040, the share of electric vehicles in the entire battery market may exceed 80%.


⑫ Electronic games


McKinsey predicts that by 2030, 40% of the global population may become video game players. The new modes of mobile and cloud gaming have made the gaming process faster and simpler, driving significant market growth.


Free online games are bringing a lot of revenue to game developers, and the expenses for 3A games are also increasing. The budget for 3A games released in 2025 has reached 200 million US dollars.


⑬ Robot


The robot twisted the yangko on stage and became the focus. AI is here, a perfect match. For robots, they have grown brains.




For AI, it has a body. So humanoid robots are now highly expected by the industry to become the "ultimate intelligent agents".


In the future, everyone may have a robot.


⑭ Industrial and Consumer Biotechnology


With breakthroughs in technologies such as gene editing, biotechnology will accelerate its application in fields such as agriculture, alternative proteins (artificial meat, eggs, milk, consumer products and services, biomaterials, etc.).


⑮ Modular architecture


Prefabricate various modules in the factory and assemble them on site. This production method can significantly improve the efficiency of building production. From a global perspective, there are still many issues of housing shortage and high housing prices.


Although modular buildings have been widely used in some high labor cost places in Japan and Northern Europe, their global popularity is still relatively low.


⑯ Nuclear fission power generation


Safer and smaller modular reactors bring possibilities for supplementing renewable energy. At the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, over 20 countries pledged to double their nuclear energy production by 2050.


⑰ Air traffic


Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and delivery drones will be significant technological changes in this field. At present, there are early signs of future growth. However, it still depends on the regulatory and certification progress of each country.


⑱ Medications for treating obesity and related conditions


According to the report 'World Obesity Atlas' It is estimated that the prevalence of obesity may increase from 15% in 2020 to 24% in 2035. So, if there are truly safe and reliable weight loss products available, there is a high probability that they will yield huge profits.


In summary, trend analysis is very important as it can be used to test the results of fundamental element analysis, but it cannot be used alone to avoid blindly relying on past experience.


conclusion

The true security guarantee for enterprises is the future managers.




Even with these improved methods, future decisions are still just expectations and there is a high possibility of guessing incorrectly. Therefore, any business decision must be prepared in advance for changes, adjustments, or remedies.


For every business decision, managers must make sufficient preparations in advance and strive to create the expected future as much as possible.


Otherwise, even if the technology for predicting the future is sophisticated, business decisions will only be wishful thinking, and like all decisions made based on long-term forecasts, will inevitably lead to an inevitable outcome.


Specifically, today's managers must systematically prepare for tomorrow's managers.


Tomorrow's managers can adjust today's decisions to adapt to tomorrow's environment, transform rational speculation into solid achievements, and make tomorrow's environment more suitable for the decisions made today.


reference material:


1. "The Practice of Management" by Drucker;


2. 297 million Chinese, Old, Notekeeper;


3. "2025, Silver Hair Economy, Top Ten Opportunities", Notes Hero;


4. McKinsey Report: 18 Trendy Industries for the Future ", Liu Run.


*The article is the author's independent viewpoint and does not represent the position of note taking hero.


This article is from the WeChat official account "Noteman" (ID: Notesman). The author: Qi, 36 Krypton has been authorized to release it.


The viewpoint of this article only represents the author himself, and the 36Kr platform only provides information storage space services.




下一个10年,发展的趋势变了

笔记侠·2025年03月15日 16:10
改变不了周期,但必须知道这些趋势。

内容来源:     德鲁克《管理的实践》第8章部分的内容整理。   

第 8872 篇深度好文:8507字 | 25分钟阅读

笔记君说:

顺势而为,才能事半功倍。

尤其对于企业家,不要看周期,而是看趋势。

今年作为十四五规划收官和十五五规划谋篇的关键节点,刚刚结束的两会通过了一系列重要决议,涵盖经济、科技、民生、法治等领域。

从这些决议中,我们能看到国家的风向标,其中也潜藏着很多趋势机会。

纵观企业发展,很多有所建树的企业家,无不是早早制定了未来的目标。

正如德鲁克所说:制定目标,是为了决定今天应该采取什么行动,才可以在明天获得成果,是以对未来的预期为基础的。

因此要达成目标,必须采取行动塑造未来,权衡今天的手段和未来的成果,在不久的将来和遥远的未来之间求取平衡。

今天这篇文章,我们就来通过德鲁克《管理的实践》第8章“今天的决策,明天的成果”中的分析模型,从这些趋势中找到属于自己的机会。

无论是国家决议,还是企业经营决策,大部分情况下都需要经过多年时间才能真正奏效,更要在多年以后,才能有真正的产出。   

所以,企业家别无选择,只有预测未来的发展,并试图塑造未来,在短期和长期目标之间取得平衡。

要做好这两件事,远超出凡人的能力,不过虽然缺乏老天的指引,企业一把手绝对不可轻视这些艰难的责任,必须尽己之力,尽职尽责。   

预测5年、10年或15年后的发展,通常都只能算猜测而已。但基于系统知识的猜测和单凭直觉不同,理性评估后所做的猜测和有如赌博押注般的瞎猜之间,还是有差别的。   

一、摆脱对经济周期的依赖

任何企业都生存于大的经济环境之中,因此规划未来时势必会关注整体经营条件的变化。

不过企业一把手需要的不是一般人心目中的经营环境预测,也就是企图预测明天的天气,或解读三五年后,甚至10年以后的经营环境。   

企业一把手需要的是能够不受制于经济周期,让企业自由思考与规划的工具。   

乍一看,这似乎是一种似是而非、自相矛盾的说法。经济周期当然是一种重要的因素。一项决定是在繁荣时期实施还是在萧条时期实施,将对这项决定是否有效和成功产生不同的影响。   

在经济衰退的低谷时期进行资本投资,在经济繁荣的顶峰时期抑制扩张和新的投资,经济学家这种千篇一律的建议似乎只不过是一种最基本的常识。   

事实上,这个建议不会比低价买进高价卖出的建议更加有用和有效。尽管这个建议很好,但是应该如何执行呢?又有谁知道我们现在正处于经济周期的哪个阶段呢?   

而经济学家过去的平均准确率并不怎么样,生意人预测成功的概率也好不到哪里(    还记得1944~1945年,大家都预测战后经济会开始走下坡路吗    )。即使这个建议很好,利用经济周期依然是个无法实施的建议。   

如果工商界人士真的能遵照这个建议行事,那么从一开始,压根儿就不会出现经济繁荣和经济萧条了。经济之所以会出现两极化的波动,正是因为就心理学而言,这个建议根本不可行。   

在经济繁荣时期,几乎每个人都相信这下子可以海阔天空,无所限制,而在经济跌落谷底时,每个人都相信这一回经济繁荣再也不可能恢复了,会一直走下坡路,或永远停在谷底,无法翻身。   

如果我们一直围绕着经济周期思考,就会受这种心理所摆布,无论原本的意图有多好,经济学家的分析有多高明,都会因此做出错误的决策。   

那么,企业一把手应该如何做出未来5年、10年甚至20年的规划?   

德鲁克给出了3种工具,他认为,无论目前经济形势如何,企业都需要借助这类工具做3年或7年以后的规划。   

我们来一个个讲。   

二、做好最坏的打算

首先,我们可以假定经济总是会不断起伏,而不需试图臆测目前的经济正处于经济周期的哪个阶段。

换句话说,借着分析过去的经验,找出预期可能碰到的最坏可能或最可能碰到的严重挫败,并据以检验目前的经营决策。   

如此一来,企业的决策就不必受制于对经济周期的臆测。   

这个方法无法告诉我们决策是对是错,但却能显示其中所牵涉的最大和最小周期性风险,因此在评估企业必要的最低利润时,这是最重要的预测工具。   

这个分析策略,国内当属华为运用的最为熟练。   

2000年,华为全年销售额达 220 亿元,利润 29 亿元,位居全国电子百强第一名,形式一片大好。可就在2001年,任正非就发表了著名的讲话《华为的冬天》。   

当时,很多人并不信。2002 年,华为真的迎来了 “冬天”,任正非自述当时一度抑郁,半夜哭醒,还卖掉了华为电气应对危机。   

自此,危机意识就刻画在了华为基因里。于是在2019年被美国列入“实体清单”后,被芯片卡脖子后,华为亮出了备胎计划,多年研发的海思芯片一夜转正。   

也正是这种忧患意识,让华为在面临一次次危机时,能够在最小损失的情况下化解危机。

三、基本要素分析

第二种工具比较不容易掌握,但功效更大。

这种工具是根据可能对未来经济产生重大影响的事件来制定决策,把考虑的重心放在过去已经发生且不具经济意义的事件上,而不去预测未来;试图找出影响经济环境的基本因素,而不去猜测未来的经济环境。   

德鲁克曾讲过一个案例,有一家公司在第二次世界大战期间决定在战后转行成为保险丝盒和闸盒制造商。   

这个决定就是基于影响经济发展的基本要素—1937~1943年,美国出现了新家庭日益增多的趋势和人口结构的变化。   

到了1943年,很明显,美国的人口趋势已经发生根本变化,即使人口统计专家的推论正确—他们预测高生育率是战时的短暂现象,在战后就会下降(这是历史上最缺乏根据的轻率推测,仍然无法改变一个事实,新家庭形成率从1937年的低点开始大幅上升,远超过萧条时期的数字)。

即使新家庭形成率和人口出生率在战后再度下降,这些新家庭仍然需要房子住。   

除此之外,房地产市场已经停滞了将近20年,所以对于住宅潜藏了惊人的需求。由此可以得到的结论是,除非美国战败,否则战后建筑业必定非常兴旺。   

如果战后美国发生严重的经济萧条,住宅兴建计划就会由政府主导。事实上,人口趋势和住宅供需情况都显示,兴建住宅势必成为政府对抗经济萧条的重要政策。   

如果战后美国经济日益繁荣,而后来情况也确实如此,那么房地产市场就会更加蓬勃发展,私有住宅会大量兴建。换句话说,无论战后经济形势是好是坏,住宅建设都会蓬勃发展。   

企业正是根据针对这类已经发生而且预期会影响未来经济发展的趋势所做的分析,决定是否跨入新行业。因此即使在做长期规划时,企业经营者仍然可以理直气壮地说,他们其实不是在预测未来。   

当然,人口结构只是其中一项基本要素。在第二次世界大战刚结束的那段期间,人口结构可能是影响美国经济发展的主要因素,但在其他时候,人口结构可能只是次要甚至不相干的因素。   

不过,基本方法依然放之四海而皆准:找到过去已经发生过的非经济性却会影响经济环境的事件,然后据以制定未来的决策。   

比如,这两年大家一直在探讨的银发经济、老龄化,其实也就是人口结构的变化。   

那么,在这样的人口结构变化下,会产生什么趋势和商机?   

1.背景概况

去年10月,民政部、全国老龄办发布了《2023年度国家老龄事业发展公报》。公报显示,截至2023年底,全国60周岁及以上老年人口2.96亿人,占总人口的21.1%;65岁及以上老年人口2.16亿人,占总人口的15.4%。   

这是银发经济的现实背景。   

2.对传统消费行业的影响

① 老年消费的六大新特征

兜里有钱了:2025年中国60岁以上人口将达3亿,养老金规模突破10万亿元,可支配收入比十年前增长60%。   

花钱更潇洒:本科及以上学历老年群体占比从2010年5%升至2023年18%,更愿为品质生活买单。   

健康排首位:某电商平台数据显示,中老年营养保健品类目年增速超40%,智能血压计销量三年涨3倍。   

精神要富足:老年大学报名人数年均增长25%,旅游平台60+用户年均出行3.2次,人均消费超万元。   

数字不掉队:微信银发用户超1.2亿,移动支付使用率达78%,线上问诊用户年增速超300%。   

专属要定制:老年服装定制服务订单量年增120%,适老化改造需求覆盖30%以上老旧小区。   

② 传统行业如何顺应这个趋势?

第一,零售行业

产品升级:比如推出无糖食品、助眠床垫、智能药盒等适老化产品。   

场景再造:比如优化超市线路,在货架增设老花镜,方便老年用户看清标签。   

服务创新:比如苏宁推出"银龄课堂",2000家门店提供手机使用教学服务。   

渠道下沉:开发适合老年人的线上购物平台和App,提供配送到家的服务。比如京东到家推出长辈版,“手机下单、小时内送达”的消费模式颇受老人欢迎。   

第二,旅游行业

康养路线:比如设计温泉理疗、中医养生类线路。   

品质服务:比如携程推出的"爸妈放心游"项目,强调安全和服务。   

智能赋能:比如飞猪推出的AR景点导览,提升老年游客的旅游便利性。   

第三,娱乐行业

文化消费:推出适合老年人的文化演出、艺术培训等活动。   

教育市场:发展老年大学,推出兴趣班,涵盖艺术、科技、健康等领域。   

数字娱乐:创建适合老年人的数字娱乐内容,比如糖豆广场舞App,其用户超8000万,日均活跃用户超1200万。   

3.给产业端带来的机会

① “视人为人”的养老院

在中国,有些养老院为了“管”好老人,给老人带上“安全带”,把老人绑椅子上或床上。   

为什么?怕老人白天从椅子上摔,夜里从床上滚,怕有危险。听着挺善意,但这可不是“视老人为人”。

老人是老了,可没傻。他们有思想有感情,把人绑床上,限制自由,你愿意吗?

在日本养老院,可不能把老人“约束”起来。日本的养老院有句话:约束,是为了解除约束。不能提交解除约束的计划,是不能实施约束。   

除此之外,中国有些养老院还会区别对待。有孩子的,照顾得好,怕孩子找麻烦。没孩子的,可惨了,因为没什么后果。   

但在日本,每个老人都有监护人。没子女,政府给安排。监护人会定期来看老人,大事得和老人商量。这才是视人为人。这才是人类社会进化方向。   

② 洞察老人需求,做到极致

老龄化这趋势,谁都能看见,可趋势本身不值钱。看见趋势后,得深刻洞察顾客需求。

足力健创始人张京康说:老人,不是一个消费力差的下沉市场。老人,是一个需求独特的差异化市场。

他这么说,也这么做。   

足力健调研老人的鞋,还研究老人的脚。去公园、菜场、超市,甚至家访,测上千双老人的脚,找到老人穿鞋的独特问题。

什么问题呢?挤脚、磨脚、打滑。但光发现问题不行,得有解决方案。   

足力健从七个维度分析老人脚型数据,然后解决问题。

  • 老人鞋得单独设计鞋楦,比普通鞋宽,鞋头更宽,才合脚,从而研发出更专业舒适的老人鞋。

  • 鞋后跟设计了U 形跟,鞋垫后部翻起,海绵包脚跟,防磨。足弓有“足弓托”,分散压力,走路不累,还防崴脚。

  • 年轻人鞋酷但不稳,老人鞋鞋底要大才稳。鞋头有防撞头,防绊倒。选鞋底材料得防滑又不能抱死,不然也摔跤。

这可不是研究鞋和需求了,是研究老人生理结构、生活场景、行为数据、日常习惯。这才是调研和研发产品的极致。

③ 商业向善,让夕阳更美

未来中国,可能有3亿老年人,有人说超三分之一人口都是老人。站老人角度想想,他们要什么?70 后、80 后老了,要什么?   

老人精神上想要不孤独、不脱节、不掉队。这就得靠“商业向善”。

我们投身银发经济,不应该只考虑怎样赚钱,而应该无限接近老年人的生活,设身处地去思考怎么做才能满足他们的需求。   

好多人一提“银发经济”,就想到养老地产、盖房子盖养老院。这没错,但想得不深。   

老人是分段的,需求也分层。50 到70 岁的“前银发族”“活力银发族”,要的可能不是养老院,是保持健康和活力。

有一组数据:

老人一年买四次运动装备,京沪阿姨一年出游三次,老年大学报名是招生人数的四倍,面向老人教育机构有近十万所。老人们会旅行、上大学、创业、再婚。   

70 到 80 岁老人,身体有小毛病,要专业可穿戴设备和轻度照护。   

80 到 90 岁,身体不好常生病,要专业医疗资源。   

90 岁以上,可能迎来“百岁人生”,有的生病去世,有的寿终正寝。他们要临终关怀,一个慰藉。需要有人要告诉他们,如何优雅地与这个世界告别。   

老龄化来了,需求机会不一样。多大机会?   

超过20万亿的市场。   

这就意味着得有更专业的商业力量加入。我们要思考改进的还很多。   

比如有没有“老年版闲鱼”?有没有老人专属社交平台?有没有老人兴趣学习平台?商业中心能不能适老化改造,成老人聚会首选?

四、基本要素分析

尽管基本要素分析是我们手边所能拥有的最佳工具,却离完美还有一大段距离。因为我们不能保证任何事情在未来一定会发生。

即使必然会发生的事情确实发生了,我们仍然无法预估发生的时间。   

因此,我们绝不能单独运用基本要素分析法,还需要有第三个降低预测风险的工具加以检验:趋势分析,这也是今天普遍采用的方法。

基本要素分析试图探究未来的事件为什么会发生,趋势分析问的问题则是有多大的可能和会多快发生。   

趋势分析所根据的假设是:经济现象。例如家庭用电,或平均每1美元的家庭所得有多少花在寿险上,是长期的趋势,不会很快改变或变幻莫测。   

这种趋势可能会受到周期性波动的干扰,但经过长时间后,终将恢复原本的走势。拿统计学家的术语来形容,“趋势曲线”会是一条跨越10年、15年或20年的“真实曲线”。

所以,趋势分析就是要找出关于企业发展的特有趋势,借着趋势,企业在制定长期决策时,不需要太在意短期的经济周期。

而这次全国两会结束后,我们也可以看到很多趋势,比如政府工作报告提到的新兴产业和未来产业:   

1.新兴产业和未来产业

① 新兴产业

商业航天:推动卫星互联网、火箭发射等产业链完善,2023年市场规模达6582亿元,重点布局北京“南箭北星”、上海卫星制造、海南发射场等区域。     

低空经济:涵盖无人机物流、低空旅游、应急救援等场景,2023年市场规模5059.5亿元,预计2026年突破万亿元。

政策支持安全监管与规模化发展,如广东、湖南等地试点低空飞行器公共安全管控平台。     

智能网联新能源汽车:深化自动驾驶、车联网技术应用,2023年全球销量超1400万辆,中国占比超60%。政策延长购置税减免至2027年,推动充换电网络覆盖90%县域。   

新一代信息技术:5G规模化应用加速,工业互联网与算力资源优化协同,目标打造国际竞争力数字产业集群。     

② 未来产业

生物制造:以合成生物学为核心,开发生物基材料替代化工原料,预计2033年市场规模达2万亿元。重点突破菌株构建、生物炼制技术,推动医药、农业领域应用。     

量子科技:量子科技是当今科技领域的前沿方向,涵盖了量子计算、量子通信和量子测量等多个重要分支。

《国家和商业的量子技术:现状和未来》报告称:全球量子通信市场规模到2035年将达到200亿美元,其中主要份额来自设备和基础设施。

具身智能:也就是我们常说的人形机器人,作为首次被写入政府工作报告,足以彰显其重要性和发展潜力。在技术层面,目前重点要突破关节控制、感应器集成等核心技术。

宇树科技推出的四足机器人和人形机器人产品,在春晚大放异彩;优必选则在教育、服务等领域大力推广人形机器人,让机器人走进学校、商场等场所。

6G通信:6G被定位为低空经济与商业航天的技术底座,政府提出“优化算力布局”,“加快卫星通信研发”,支持空天地海一体化网络。未来,6G 通信将广泛应用于智能网联汽车、无人机物流等领域。

脑机接口与光子技术:脑机接口技术致力于实现大脑与外部设备的直接通信。

以强脑科技为代表,他们在脑机接口技术研发和产品应用方面取得了诸多成果,推出了一系列脑机接口设备,用于医疗康复、神经科学研究等领域。

而光子技术中的光子芯片具有高速、低能耗等优势,在数据中心、通信等领域具有广阔应用前景。   

2.改变全球商业格局的18个赛道

去年第四季度,麦肯锡发布了一份报告:《The next big arenas of competition》(下一个重大竞争:改变商业格局的行业领域)。   

这份报告用200多页的篇幅,详细分析了未来最有可能改变全球商业格局的18个赛道,并预测2040年,这18个赛道将实现29万—48万亿美元的收入,贡献18-34%的全球GDP增长。   

① 电商

麦肯锡预测,到2040年,电商在全球零售收入的占比,可能会到27%-38%,目前大约有20%。

电商行业的增长点,在于发展中国家的市场扩展,或者是发达国家中新品类的增长,比如医疗保健,或者是珠宝和手工艺品等,更有“情绪价值”的产品。

因为它们,更容易通过叙事的方式,在社交电商销售。全球范围来看,无论是电商平台的获客,还是最后一公里的配送,还会大概率迎来大量投资。   

② 电动汽车

无论在乘用车还是商用车,电动车的份额还会提升。麦肯锡判断,电动车在全球乘用车销量中的占比,会在2040年超过50%。

电池技术的突破,智能算法的革新,也都将会是重要的影响因素。无论是电动车企业还是传统车企,都会加大研发投资。   

③ 云服务

世界正在变得更加互联,这就对企业提出了更高的储存和计算能力要求。新的AI产品,更需要大量的算力。

根据麦肯锡的分析,该行业的收入从2005年到2020年的年复合增长率有17%,未来几十年,大概也会以类似或者稍缓的速度增长。   

④ 半导体

半导体,是数字世界的基石。很多领域的需求,都会推动半导体行业的快速增长。

比如,计算和数据存储、汽车、通信和工业电子。麦肯锡预测,半导体行业,未来十几年会持续6%-8%的年复合增长。   

⑤ AI软件服务

AI发展太快,麦肯锡特地把它单独列成了一个领域。越来越多的人,正在使用AI助手。AI企业,也正在进行军备竞赛,打造最先进的基础模型和应用。   

⑥ 数字广告

数字广告,就是通过搜索、社交和媒体,进行广告服务。从全球来看,随着上网的中产阶级增加,每人上网的时间增多,数字广告的商业价值正在持续扩大。

算法的不断进步,也提升了平台定位客户和追踪广告成本的能力。但平台之间,为了争夺用户的注意力,又必须加大投资,做出最能吸引用户的内容。   

⑦ 流媒体视频

因为用于获客和内容制作的投资不断增加,流媒体平台或许要寻找更多盈利方式,进行自我革新。

大量发展中国家,或许会为流媒体的内容订阅和广告收入提供增量。

麦肯锡预测,2040年,订阅长视频服务的家庭数量,可能会突破10亿。   

⑧ 共享自动驾驶汽车

随着自动驾驶技术的落地,未来,我们可能不需要再买车了。只不过,这个未来可能会慢一些。

根据麦肯锡的预测,2040年,共享自动驾驶汽车可能会占据共享出行25%到51%的收入。   

⑨ 太空

不管你愿不愿意,不久后,我们的世界可能就要进入太空经济时代了。在SpaceX之前,航空业基本上被认为是一种生产“一次性”奢侈品的行业,成本极高。

如今,连重型火箭也可以分级“可回收”。直到,像飞机一样实现“航班化”。   

⑩ 网络安全

根据麦肯锡数据,2020年,网络犯罪造成的直接经济损失约9500亿美元,间接损失可能要到4-6万亿美元。但魔高一尺道高一丈,越来越多的企业,开始重视网络安全,加大投资力度,提高网络安全支出。   

⑪ 电池

电池,在技术上取得了突破性的进步。过去几十年,电池的能量密度(能量和重量比值.增长到了大约三倍于之前的水平)。全球的能源转型,推动了对电池的需求。

比如,电动汽车的发展,储能的发展以及消费电子产品的持续增长。根据麦肯锡预测,2040年,电动汽车在整个电池市场的占比可能会超过80%。   

⑫ 电子游戏

麦肯锡预测,到了2030年,全球可能有40%的人口成为电子游戏玩家。移动游戏和云游戏的新模式,让游戏的游玩过程,变得更快更简洁,推动了市场大量增长。

免费网游正在给游戏厂商带来大量收益,3A游戏的支出,也开始越来越高。2025年发布的3A游戏预算,已经达到了2亿美元。   

⑬ 机器人

机器人在舞台上秧歌一扭,成了焦点。AI来了,珠联璧合。对于机器人而言,它长出了脑子。

对于AI而言,它有了身体。所以人形机器人如今被业内寄予厚望,期待它们成为“终极智能体”。

未来,可能每个人都有一台机器人。

⑭ 工业和消费生物技术

随着编辑基因等技术突破,生物技术将会在如农业、替代蛋白(人造肉、蛋、奶、消费产品和服务、生物材料等领域加速应用)。   

⑮ 模块化建筑

在工厂预制好各种模块,到了现场再拼起来。这种生产方法,可以大幅提高建筑的生产效率。全球来看,住房短缺和房屋较贵的问题还是很多。

模块化建筑虽然在日本、北欧一些劳动力成本比较高的地方已经广泛应用,但在全球的普及程度还是差了些。

⑯ 核裂变发电

更安全、更小型的模块化反应堆,为补充可再生能源带来可能。在2023年的联合国气候变化大会上,20多个国家承诺到2050年,把核能产量提高两倍。   

⑰ 空中交通

电动垂直起降飞行器和配送无人机,会是这个领域的重大技术变革。目前,已经出现未来增长的早期迹象。但是,还是要看各国的监管和认证进展。   

⑱ 治疗肥胖症及相关病症的药物

根据报告《World Obesity Atlas》(世界肥胖症地图集.估计,肥胖症的患病率,可能会从2020年的15%上升到2035年的24%)。所以,如果有确实安全可靠的减肥产品出现,大概率会获得巨大的收益。   

总而言之,趋势分析非常重要,它可以拿来检验基本要素分析的结果,但是也不能单独运用这个工具,以免变得盲目依赖过去的经验。

结语

企业真正的安全保障,是未来的管理者。

即使有了这些改进后的方法,关系未来的决策仍然只是预期而已,很可能出现猜错的情况。因此任何经营决策都必须预先做好改变、调整或补救的准备。   

针对每一个经营决策,管理者都必须预做充分准备,尽可能将未来打造成预期的模样。   

否则,就算预测未来的技术再高明,经营决策都不过是一相情愿的如意算盘,和所有根据长期预测所做的决定一样,将走向不可避免的下场。   

具体来说,今天的管理者必须有系统地为明天的管理者做好准备。   

明天的管理者能够调整今天的决策以适应明天的环境,能将理性推测转变为扎实的成就,让明天的环境更适合今天所制定的决策。   

参考资料:

1.《管理的实践》 德鲁克著;   

2.《2.97亿中国人,老了》,笔记侠;

3.《2025,银发经济,十大机会》,笔记侠;

4.《麦肯锡报告:未来的18个风口行业》,刘润。

*文章为作者独立观点,不代表笔记侠立场。

本文来自微信公众号   “笔记侠”(ID:Notesman),作者:柒,36氪经授权发布。


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