What does 2021 have in store for us?
Here are some the predictions that Bo Møller thinks are realistic for the coming year:
1) COVID-19 problems
We will discover that it’s a fundamental problem for our public health that a lot of citizens don’t want the vaccine. Also, it’s a massive task to get vaccines to developing countries, wherefore the world is preparing to battle Covid-19 for at least the next decade. Historically, it hasn’t been easy to secure vaccines (or medicine in general) to developing countries so it’s unlikely it will be any different with Covid-19. This alone is reason enough to believe that the virus won’t be eradicated just like that.
2) Remote work
Remote work will accelerate even more, making us realize that we don’t need to be in an office to create value. Services such as Teams, Slack, Zoom, Discord, and the like are experiencing great growth. Workplaces learn that they can save money on expensive offices. This will negatively affect prices on apartments in Copenhagen as living close to work is no longer necessary. As a result, we will see more people decorating in-home offices in rural areas.
3) Cryptocurrency
The biggest cryptocurrencies still exist in 2021 and more people will discover that they are here to stay. The volatility of cryptocurrencies will not disappear in 2021 but people’s confidence in it will increase as the currency is normalized. I think that it’s very likely that we will see pension funds invest in cryptocurrency in 2021.
4) Successful COVID- 19 companies are born
We will see the first new successful companies based on business areas that have become more prevalent due to Covid-19. We don’t know exactly what kind of businesses will emerge yet, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Is it remote-work? Is it local services and experiences? Is it socializing digitally? The companies will not become unicorns already in 2021, but 2020 and 20211 will give birth to companies that in 10 years will be making +100 million in turnover. And they will probably be based on business opportunities that have emerged in the current environment: In other words: Keep an eye out for new opportunities.
5) No-code is maturing
The movement towards making it easy for non-code-savvy people to integrate systems, build websites, develop apps, or otherwise “build” solutions that have previously required code-knowledge is maturing. We are already now seeing a rapid growth in the “no-code” movement, which is getting a lot of attention on Hacker News and Twitter. This trend will continue in 2021.
6) Cloud gaming becomes significantly more widespread
The future in gaming might very well be “cloud gaming”. Why buy expensive hardware for playing games if it can be done in the cloud with only a “stupid” screen needed for playing games? I think we are going to see massive growth in cloud gaming – especially in casual games. It’s hard to tell who will win the race. Google’s Stadia looks exciting but it could also easily be the new PS5 – or maybe Steam from Valve. If great computer power in your own hardware is no longer necessary, the implications for hardware manufacturers will be great – and it will change the way we buy computers.
7) Digitalization continues
Digitalization is on the rise and it’s not slowing down. The spread of “no-code” options as well as decreasing prices on hardware make it easier and easier for any business to digitize. In addition, we are seeing more and more successful digitally-based consulting firms gaining market share each year. The massive wave of digitization firms and digital agencies that came in the years 2000-2010 and took over budgets from (excuse my language ) old-fashioned printing and marketing agencies, have now definitively won the budgets for marketing and sales – and they are moving in on management consulting and a number of other traditional budgets for individual companies.
8) Padel tennis is coming to danish television
If there is one sport that is really gaining momentum in Denmark, it is padel tennis. I’ve heard several joking that middle managers have all sold their mountain bikes and tight pants and replaced them with a padel bat and the latest grips. Padel tennis courts are popping up all over the country. However, it’s still quite a “secret sport” as it is not really mentioned on TV or in any major media. This will change in 2021 where we will (maybe) see the first matches on TV – or at least see it mentioned in news programs on TV. Maybe we will even see some celebrities start training for padel tournaments? If you want to be part of the padel boom in Denmark, it’s time to get onboard.
That was it. I’m not at all sure I’m right – and with some of the points, I hope I’m wrong. You are very welcome to criticize this, but remember that this is not an expression of my personal beliefs and hopes.. These are just my guesses.
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