The Roaring Twenties

Mark Twain once wrote, 'History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes'. One hundred years ago, the world was recovering from a global flu pandemic and a World War which collapsed powerful empires that had existed for centuries. Innovation spurred by those massive events led to the creation of many things that are now so commonplace, it’s hard to imagine they simply didn’t exist just three generations ago.

Motor vehicles, telephones, talking films, radio, and electrical appliances were all either invented in the 1920s or evolved from expensive (and dangerous) toys into common consumer use. That decade became known as the Roaring Twenties, and came to an end in the great crash of 1929 - which perhaps makes us forget what incredible changes occurred during that time.

By all indications, something similar is starting to happen in the world of digital technology. A revolution is under way that may make the old Roaring Twenties look like a cat’s meow in comparison.

Very little really new stuff was invented in 2020 but many people were really motivated for the first time to use tools and techniques that had been around for quite a while, such as video teleconferencing.

Companies that were more advanced in their use of digital, were able to offset some of the costs of the pandemic disruption by reducing costs and improving customer experience - we've written about some great examples in the restaurant industry and motor vehicle business. Other companies scrambled to survive, placing enormous pressure on previously under-appreciated IT staff and providers who rose magnificently to the challenge in many cases.

Now that the dust has settled a bit, it's clear that some of the old ways of working are never coming back. McKinsey has even created an index scale based on physical proximity to estimate the likelihood of a particular type of job prospering or declining. This has produced some unexpected predictions, such as professional photographers being more in demand, which might be surprising in a world where almost everyone carries a fairly sophisticated camera in their pocket.

But far more substantial changes are in the works. Everything from flying cars (how long have we been waiting for that!) to advanced robots to medicines that will keep us young are in relatively advanced stages of development. Cloud computing has placed thousands of applications at everyone’s fingertips, while also delivering instant access to stored wisdom on absolutely everything.

No longer do we have to depend on third party “experts” to deliver knowledge to us. Those that can adapt our ways of working and thinking in this rapidly changing world will be the winners.

Is your business thinking about the changes ahead?

When this pandemic finally ends, everyone is going to want to shake off the gloom and despondency and start having some fun again. The 1920s is probably better known for the fun people were having and is also known as the Jazz Age.

Only time will tell what the Roaring 2020s will bring, but it seems safe to assume that nothing will be the same again.

Ray Delany is the Founder of CIO Studio and has been doing this for a while. Why not ask for a no-obligation discussion to help plan your change?

---

Get industry updates, tech news, and CIO Studio blogs free to your inbox!

Sign up for Digital Digest