An exponential world: Nature, patterns, and how to leverage them

Abstract

Today’s world is shaped by the impact of exponential technologies. To harvest their huge potential and to not be disrupted by their immense power, today’s entrepreneurs and business leaders have to gain a solid understanding of exponentials and how to design organizations around them. Building this knowledge and management capacity in an applicable and very structured manner is the key focus and the key value of this paper. To best fulfill its purpose, it is structured in four main section: first, it explains the nature of exponential technologies. Using this understanding as a foundation, six general phases of exponential development are described in the second part; knowledge of these phases is crucial for detecting new trends and developments as early as possible. In the third section, these more general findings are enriched by a short overview about today’s exponential technologies and their future potential. Based on this theoretical (but also practical and current) foundation, clear guidance is given in the fourth section on setting up optimal structures and processes, which enable organizations to turn the potential of exponentials into company value.