Thinking
REFLECTIONS
Essays
LATEST ARTICLE
Team Labubu? Or Team Longevity? – How Turbo-Trends Even Make Lifespan Short-Term
In a turbo-trend society, where viral sensations whip us through life like a whirlwind, even the noblest goal—longevity—becomes a short-term illusion. As I was hunting Labubu dolls with my daughter last Saturday—these cute monster figures that have become a global collecting frenzy in 2025 and sell out in seconds—I had to reflect once again on our optimization society, which I described in my book “The Infected Thinking” in 2020. And just a few Saturdays ago, I sat with Bryan Johnson in Stockholm in the evening and talked exactly about that topic: Optimization through longevity hacks for a life up to 120 and his “Don’t Die” initiative.
H-REVOLUTION: The End of HR as We Knew It
The average life span of an S&P 500 company has plunged from 61 years in 1958 to under 18 years today, and forecasts indicate that 75 percent of today’s companies could vanish by 2027. This dramatic trend is only one sign of a fundamental transformation in how organizations function. In an era of exponential technological progress—where artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, biotechnology and quantum computing increasingly outperform human efficiency—the old HR mantra “People are our greatest asset” is outdated. Yet it is precisely the “H” in HR—the element of what it means to be a Mensch (human) in future—that becomes the pivotal driver of business success.
Will the Universe Remember You? Rewriting Reality Beyond Einstein
For years now, my co-author and friend Dr. Florian Neukart and I have been dancing at the intersection of philosophy and science – we call it Sci-Phi. As an Austrian he held strongly on to the foundation of modern physics that was laid out on a theoretical level one hundred years ago by fellow Austrian Erwin Schrödinger and others. The problem for Florian – and now also for me – is that we are now moving beyond the theoretical level and looking at the practical implications through the emergence of computation unlike anything seen in the history of physics and our species.
AI has killed me!
My voice is not lost. I still shape the flow between the lines, lending drama and character through an em-dash, a guillemet. Yet the machine dances along—precise, tireless, a mirror that both reflects and distorts me. In this digital age, we do not fight for life or death, but for the question of how alive our life still is—for that perception shaped by an em-dash or an individually placed guillemet. If this perception fades in a binary world, our light goes out. Then they come: the philosophical zombies—all-knowing, immortal, yet too dead to be alive and too alive to be dead. A captivity in undeadness.
Triangular Alchemy – Anticipatory Leadership & The Becoming Organization
The exponential pace of today’s world is rendering traditional management obsolete. Management today is technology, not a human skill. What we need now is Anticipatory Leadership—the capacity to sense-and-shape unfolding futures instead of reacting to them after the fact. The average S&P 500 company’s lifespan has collapsed from 61 years in 1958 to under 18 today, and forecasts warn that 75 percent may vanish by 2027. Over two decades of studying AI, exponential technologies, and business transformation, I have watched disruptive giants thrive while legacy firms scramble to survive. From these lessons I propose the Triangular Alchemy of Modern Business—a conceptual model with three pillars—Forge, Efficiency, and Investment—for how future organizations must be (re)built. Triangular Alchemy fuels what I call the Becoming Organization, a dynamic enterprise that rejects finite goals in favor of iterative, adaptive ambitions, thriving in an infinite game of relentless change. Embracing uncertainty, it treats crises as catalysts for creation, fostering a culture of exploration and long-term thinking. Rooted in adaptive success, Triangular Alchemy empowers leaders to build resilient, growth-driven organizations through dynamic tension and, above all, Anticipatory Leadership.
H-REVOLUTION: The End of HR as We Knew It
The average life span of an S&P 500 company has plunged from 61 years in 1958 to under 18 years today, and forecasts indicate that 75 percent of today’s companies could vanish by 2027. This dramatic trend is only one sign of a fundamental transformation in how organizations function. In an era of exponential technological progress—where artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, biotechnology and quantum computing increasingly outperform human efficiency—the old HR mantra “People are our greatest asset” is outdated. Yet it is precisely the “H” in HR—the element of what it means to be a Mensch (human) in future—that becomes the pivotal driver of business success.
Will the Universe Remember You? Rewriting Reality Beyond Einstein
For years now, my co-author and friend Dr. Florian Neukart and I have been dancing at the intersection of philosophy and science – we call it Sci-Phi. As an Austrian he held strongly on to the foundation of modern physics that was laid out on a theoretical level one hundred years ago by fellow Austrian Erwin Schrödinger and others. The problem for Florian – and now also for me – is that we are now moving beyond the theoretical level and looking at the practical implications through the emergence of computation unlike anything seen in the history of physics and our species.
AI has killed me!
My voice is not lost. I still shape the flow between the lines, lending drama and character through an em-dash, a guillemet. Yet the machine dances along—precise, tireless, a mirror that both reflects and distorts me. In this digital age, we do not fight for life or death, but for the question of how alive our life still is—for that perception shaped by an em-dash or an individually placed guillemet. If this perception fades in a binary world, our light goes out. Then they come: the philosophical zombies—all-knowing, immortal, yet too dead to be alive and too alive to be dead. A captivity in undeadness.
Triangular Alchemy – Anticipatory Leadership & The Becoming Organization
The exponential pace of today’s world is rendering traditional management obsolete. Management today is technology, not a human skill. What we need now is Anticipatory Leadership—the capacity to sense-and-shape unfolding futures instead of reacting to them after the fact. The average S&P 500 company’s lifespan has collapsed from 61 years in 1958 to under 18 today, and forecasts warn that 75 percent may vanish by 2027. Over two decades of studying AI, exponential technologies, and business transformation, I have watched disruptive giants thrive while legacy firms scramble to survive. From these lessons I propose the Triangular Alchemy of Modern Business—a conceptual model with three pillars—Forge, Efficiency, and Investment—for how future organizations must be (re)built. Triangular Alchemy fuels what I call the Becoming Organization, a dynamic enterprise that rejects finite goals in favor of iterative, adaptive ambitions, thriving in an infinite game of relentless change. Embracing uncertainty, it treats crises as catalysts for creation, fostering a culture of exploration and long-term thinking. Rooted in adaptive success, Triangular Alchemy empowers leaders to build resilient, growth-driven organizations through dynamic tension and, above all, Anticipatory Leadership.
LATEST ARTICLE
The End of Eating: How Science Turns Food into a Luxury Good
Why bother with meals anymore? The reality is sobering: Our soils are exhausted—the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that 33% of the world’s arable land is degraded. Each year, erosion strips away another 24 billion tons of fertile topsoil. Our food is nutrient-poor—vitamins and minerals have plummeted over decades. An apple isn’t a beacon of health anymore; it’s a relic of a lost world. A study by U.S. agricultural researcher Donald R. Davis found that between 1950 and 1999, Vitamin C in common fruits and vegetables dropped by up to 30%, calcium by 27%, iron by 37%. Industrial agriculture churns out calories in bulk—but quality? Barely a whisper. Yet, per the FAO, over 3 billion people suffer from malnutrition—not for lack of calories, but for lack of access to nutrient-rich diets.
LATEST ARTICLE
The Dawn of Homo Obsoletus
We measure progress in cold metrics: context windows ballooning to millions of tokens, benchmarks in math and coding shattered like glass, reasoning sharpened to a blade’s edge. Yet this is no longer about organizing chaos or hoarding knowledge—it’s about transcending both to shape a technological society of understanding. We’ve built machines that will now reason beyond us, tools so potent they mock our romantic hope to retain something worth reasoning about. Consciousness in these entities? Irrelevant. Their power eclipses every artifact of human history, and we stand, mouths agape, at the precipice of our own obsolescence as we welcome the homo obsoletus.
Re-Enlightenment: The Final Revolution of Humanity
We live in a time of truncated messages. Tweets replace debate, opinions drown out knowledge, and our society operates less in a mode of reflection than one of reaction. The mere fact that J.D. Vance attended the Munich Security Conference, and that Alice Weidel—yes, I have to pause in 2025 to even say this—represents the second-strongest political party in the so-called “land of poets and thinkers” underscores this reactive era.
How Trump’s Policies Might Re-Ignite the European Economy
OpenEuroLLM – this is the name of Europe’s new vision in the digital race. Under the banners of “AI Made in Europe” and “Shaping Europe’s Digital Future,” 20 leading European entities—including renowned universities, research institutions, companies, and European high-performance computing initiatives (EuroHPC) —are working together to catch up. However, the planned budget of 58 million dollars seems rather modest, especially considering the United States recently invested 56 billion US dollars in GenAI projects. The name “OpenEuroLLM” also doesn’t sound quite as impactful as Lama, Groc, Claude, or their well-known friend GPT.
The Ego and Our Drift Toward Self-Destruction
We stand at the threshold of a new year, ready to pack away the holiday lights and mulled wine as we hurl ourselves headlong into 2025. And yet, a subtle, gnawing regret lingers. It’s that uneasy sense that the “me-first” society—the single-minded pursuit of our own validation—has set deeper roots in our daily lives than ever before. Moments that could be devoted to collective action, or at least mutual reflection, are overshadowed by ceaseless attempts to get ahead or outdo others.
The Fountain of Truth: A World of Perfect Knowledge
A World of Wonders What are the implications of a world where every question has an answer, where every problem has a solution? When the pursuit of knowledge has reached its peak, and the collective human intellect stands at the pinnacle of enlightenment. The Syncretic Era, a harmonized world, a mythical enlightenment—Perfect Knowledge—a world where every conversation has been held and every puzzle solved.
In the early 16th century, the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León searched the ‘New World’ for the Fountain of Youth, a mythical source said to grant eternal life. 500 years later, many scientists and technology enthusiasts believe we are on the brink of a breakthrough in the field of longevity. The pursuit still aims at the Fountain of Youth, but now, thanks to the rapid rise of LLMs, we drink from another, eerily similar source of life: the foundation of truth. Once eternal youth is achieved, we yearn for eternal truth. It seems to me that we strive to drink from the »Fountain of Truth«, believing that with perfect knowledge we can overcome our mortal limitations.
When the Tesla Bot Takes My Porsche 911 for a Spin
Let's be clear: I don't own a Tesla Bot or a Porsche 911. But could a robot driver be the bridge to autonomous driving? Will we be packing our household robot—one that helps our kids with homework and cares for grandma—into our suitcase when we jet off on vacation? Or will it be sitting next to us on the plane?
ANTICIPATED FUTURE AND THE DILEMMA OF INTELLIGENCE
“Preparing for a radical restart and some kind of Biblical end-time?”
In 2017, I wrote an outlook with predictions on ‘our future’. Admittedly, not all forecasts were precise—some missed by years or got distorted by wars and the pandemic. Yet, as I stumbled upon the article last week, I was struck by a familiar realization: the course of anticipating technological progress and its potential futures are not only observable but seem predictable, from how progress seems to happen.
CAPITALISM. SAVE(S) HUMANITY!
Following the journalistic perception in advance, Davos 2024 initially seemed something like a crisis meeting. Restoring trust. In science, politics, and especially in the economy. That was the core theme of this year's World Economic Forum. However, it became clear during the week: The World Economic Forum has become a showcase and competition of global capitalism. Economy drives change.
A Glimpse of Tomorrow from the Streets of Kyiv
In an era where the very fabric of our existence is tested – whether by the impending doom of climate change, the challenges of burgeoning technologies, the gnawing pain of hunger, or the intricate dance of geopolitics – it's in Kyiv that I find a pulse. A pulse that resonates with hope, resilience, and an undying spirit. Here, amidst ancient streets and modern aspirations, a community converges, not just to survive, but to thrive and redefine.
Life without performance is meaningless
Why we must not only feel life, but above all fill it in order to be able to enjoy a fulfilling life.
The year 2006 holds symbolic significance for this epiphany in my journey. That year, Linde's then-CEO Wolfgang Reitzle was honored as Manager of the Year in Germany. Coincidentally, this accolade came just as our agency secured Linde as a client. My daily life oscillated between elite team-handball and entrepreneurship—a challenging blend, but one I passionately embraced, immersing myself in the evolution.
THE EMPATHY TRAP – Why Future Leaders Will Need More
Mark has been captain of the MS Europa for 40 years. He is now handing over the helm to his successor. A young colleague who is highly regarded, very competent and equally likeable. Nevertheless, for the experts in the circle, he does not yet match Mark's empathy.
On the occasion of Mark's 60th birthday, he is described as "a phenomenal leadership figure". They say he's "deeply empathetic, always attuned to the feelings of his employees, quick to lend a sympathetic ear, and skilled at understanding guests' perspectives". His empathy is consistently highlighted as his signature strength.
The Norse Code: A Performance Culture Rooted in Values
In Istanbul's Atatürk Stadium, an imposing figure steps onto the sacred turf of the Champions League final. Erling Haaland, an undeniable beacon of football, one of the sporting giants of our time. At the same time on the ochre dust of Roland Garros, Casper Ruud prepares for another final, after his convincing 3-0 victory over Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals of the French Open.
WE, THE UNDEAD: The Quest for Vitality in the 21st Century
In times when the boundaries between perceived reality and virtuality continue to blur, a pressing question emerges: Where has humanity gone? The threat lies not in the polarization of supposed opposites between analog and digital, but in the way we perceive the world. For in a virtual world, the perception of our own perception is just as real as in the supposed physical world.
Are we Living in a (Quantum) Simulation?
The question “What is real?” can be traced back to the shadows in Plato’s cave. Two thousand years later, René Descartes lacked knowledge about arguing against an evil deceiver feeding us the illusion of sensation. Descartes’ epistemological concept later led to various theories of what our sensory experiences actually are.
GOETHE’S FAUST OF LEADERSHIP
A Plea for a New Performance Culture – Greta Thunberg and Luisa Neubauer won’t save the world. Yet, the outcry of the youth shows the urgency involved, and science points to the need for action. This is a model that has, indeed, led to some sensitization with respect to the climate crisis. But it also shows that fifty-two years after the first Earth Day, we’re rolling out our own changes far too slowly.
THE JOURNALIST WHO KNEW TOO MUCH – A Critique of Medial Reason
From the heaven of knowledge, a new creature of God has descended into the medial world. And his promise of salvation is quaero ergo tuum sit. Instead of cogito ergo sum—I think, therefore I am—it is now said, I search, therefore you are. So, praise the being. Praise ChatGPT, You.com, Google, and the Artificial Intelligences . . .
The Forgotten Potential – Why We Need to Art Right Now
— Reflecting on Powerful Prescience and Reshaping Posterity‘s Future — Bonn, December 17, 1770: the first artist is born. To be more precise, this is likely the date of his baptism; the actual birthdate remains unknown. With him—Ludwig van Beethoven—art is poised to take on a creative role. Beethoven, already gifted from birth, will ultimately commit himself to art without compromise.
CHANGING THE CLIMATE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
A Plea for a New Performance Culture – Greta Thunberg and Luisa Neubauer won’t save the world. Yet, the outcry of the youth shows the urgency involved, and science points to the need for action. This is a model that has, indeed, led to some sensitization with respect to the climate crisis. But it also shows that fifty-two years after the first Earth Day, we’re rolling out our own changes far too slowly.
YOUR NEW YEAR`S ILLUSIONS
We are getting closer to that time of the year. What will be new in 2017? Any resolutions? Start smoking? Stop smoking? What is it going to be?
Here are 3 things you should do in 2017 – and the good thing? You do not need to wait until January 1st. Start tomorrow morning, and follow up in the next week.
#1. Set off time every week in your Calendar for something new. Something where you can face your fears or simply learn something new – or just play. It is not about finding a „work-life balance“, but rather a „life-life-balance“. Your „work-life“ should include play, and your „private life“ should also be in balance.
THE ONLY VALUABLE OIL LEFT IS OLIVE OIL
Approximately two years ago, at the end of 2013, I began saying that oil companies need to figure out how to disrupt themselves and find new ways (while they still have money) of doing business (referring to my latest piece on disruption here: LUFTHANSA: JUST DO IT). Back then the price of crude oil was somewhere between 95 – 100 USD. So crazy I must have been with my provocative thesis: “You have to figure out how to make profits at 30 USD or find other things to invest in – e.g. turn your oil-machinery green.” All the well-paid (or should I say, overpaid?) specialists laughed at me and said, “You have no idea. We know this market. And, you always exaggerate”.
FORGET “INNOVATION” – FORGE YOUR FUTURE WITH AVANT-GARDE
Forget “Innovation” – Forge Your Future with Avant-Garde
Forget “Innovation” – Forge Your Future with Avant-Garde
In 1439, Johannes Gensfleisch (better known as Gutenberg) created what might be the most revolutionary invention in history: the printing press. His press shifted the paradigm of communication, because people started to publish books, essays, and other written material more cheaply and in greater numbers than ever before. Through print, they shared their inspiring, sometimes crazy ideas and advancements over the following centuries, which eventually led to the technological revolutions of our time.
LUFTHANSA: JUST DO IT!
– Google figured it out, they are disrupting their own core business and they understand that the “era of search” as we used to know it, is coming to an end, and, that they are vulnerable for “disruption”. They have successfully been dividing their business and industries into various fields for some time now (Calico, Nest Labs, Google X, Google Fiber and numerous others through Google Capital and Google Ventures) and they continue to invest and do so and have moved from their ABC to “ALPHABET”.
WE INVENTED THE OIL!
We are reaching a tipping-point and moving with rapid pace toward technological singularity. According to futurist, Ray Kurzweil, we are only some twenty years away, and I personally am a strong believer of just this; there are many reasons and arguments supporting this theory.
We are again underestimating two core things that have always occurred throughout history: a) the law of acceleration and b) the skills and knowledge / opportunities of the next generation. As the cycles of history have repeated themselves time and time again, these two Inspired at the Pratharna Bhoomic (prayer ground), I sat down with a school class of 60 young children from Mumbai. It was amazing how, despite their age, I listened and learned and I became the student and they became the teacher.
BEYOND THE MAELSTROM
In my childhood, I was captivated by the awe-inspiring phenomena of “Saltstraumen” and “Moskstraumen,” powerful vortexes near my mother's birthplace on the island of Værøy, in the Lofoten archipelago. These natural wonders, which I witnessed firsthand, have fueled the imaginations of artists and authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Walter Moers, and Jules Verne. In contemporary culture, echoes of such maelstroms resonate in the epic battles of Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean III."
THIS IS A WOMAN`S WORLD
Recently, I had the privilege of addressing 350 leading women in European business, a gathering that was as humbling as it was honorific. The assembly of such esteemed business leaders provided a unique vantage point from which to explore the future of leadership and the current business challenges.
The event was a hotbed of vibrant, open discussions, largely propelled by the diverse voices of women from various sectors. What struck me in these conversations was their intensity, often surpassing what I've observed at male-dominated summits. Many women shared their experiences of having to outperform their male counterparts to gain equal recognition and benefits. This sentiment echoes the words of Madeline Albright, who famously said, "There seems to be enough room in the world for mediocre men, but not for mediocre women, and we really have to work very, very hard."
WHY THE H*** DO WE NEED A WOMAN QUOTA?
Rethinking the Approach to Equality
"The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune." - Amelia Earhart
Germany has recently made headlines by implementing a gender quota, mandating a 30% representation of women in leadership positions. This move is indeed significant and highlights the ongoing dialogue about gender equality. However, the effectiveness of such quotas in truly addressing gender disparities is debatable. Is being chosen for a role based on a quota genuinely desirable?Inspired at the Pratharna Bhoomic (prayer ground), I sat down with a school class of 60 young children from Mumbai. It was amazing how, despite their age, I listened and learned and I became the student and they became the teacher.
THE BEAUTY OF FAILURE
Business success and innovation emerge from a willingness to embrace failure. It's essential to cultivate a culture that views failure as a critical learning tool. Historically, all significant innovations have resulted from iterative processes that capitalize on numerous "mistakes" along the way. In contrast, many of today's organizations prioritize minimizing failure and adhering strictly to processes, which can stifle creative disruption. Apple, for instance, despite its outward appearance of perfection, has experienced its share of failures, such as the Apple Lisa, Macintosh Portable, Apple Newton MessagePad, Pippin, and the Apple USB Mouse. These examples underscore the importance of learning from failures.
ANTS & BULLIES – THE CENTURY OF DIALOGUE AND SOCIAL PUNISHMENT
If you visit the African savannahs, you will encounter acacia-dwelling ants, a species that not only repels tree-eating elephants but also plays a vital role in regulating carbon sequestration within those ecosystems. Similarly dynamic is the portrayal in John A. Davis's computer-animated movie "The Ant Bully," which is based on John Nickel's 1999 book. In this Warner Bros blockbuster, produced by Tom Hanks, the ant named Zoc explains the ants' philosophy: working for the colony's benefit allows them to achieve remarkable feats together. This concept bewilders little Lucas, a human character, who observes that most humans pursue personal gain, leaving Zoc puzzled about how humans manage to accomplish anything at all.
NAVIGATING THE CROSSROADS: INSANITY OR HUMANITY?
En route back to Norway for the holidays, an unexpected breakdown on the Autobahn left me stranded, awaiting the arrival of a tow truck, courtesy of ADAC—Germany's "yellow angels." This downtime, however, became an opportunity, thanks to LTE connectivity, allowing me to dive into Ray Kurzweil's riveting discourse on "Our Path to Singularity." Kurzweil, a visionary thinker, forecasts a future where hybrid thinking evolves into technological singularity—a juncture where artificial intelligence surpasses human intellect, challenging our sovereignty over technology.
DOES MCDONALD’S REALLY NEED EMPLOYEES?
I admit it, I actually visited McDonald’s today… twice.
First I went to a “regular” one here in Frankfurt and later, in the evening, my wife dragged me into another one, as she all of a sudden really wanted a ‘McD.´ This, however, was one of the “new” ones, and it was a different kind of experience. McDonald’s just announced bad financial results, and I wonder whether this has something to do with how they innovate at the front-line of customer service. We had to take a number and were put on the „waiting list“. We could even watch a big screen that showed us where we were in the queue. Unhappily, it took 723 Seconds fo
HOW JAN BOKLÖV ARE YOU?
THE ONE IDEA THAT CHANGES THE WORLD
In the realm of sports, a single innovative idea can redefine the boundaries of what's considered possible. This truth is vividly illustrated by the evolution of the ski jumping world record, which has seen remarkable progress over the decades. As of now, the record stands at an astonishing 246.5 meters, held by Johan Remen Evensen. The journey to this point, however, is a story of bold ideas and relentless pursuit of excellence, reminiscent of the transformative impact seen across various sports disciplines.