A method in waiting. http://amzn.to/2iuS4FV
Book: Who owns the future
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A method in waiting for its moment
Jaron Lanier uses the phrase a method in waiting in Who Owns the Future? Some ideas exist long before the world is ready for them. They sit quietly, waiting for technology, culture or economics to catch up. When conditions change, those methods suddenly become essential.
History is full of examples. Neural networks were proposed decades before computers became powerful enough to make them useful. Video calls were imagined long before broadband made them practical. Each was a method in waiting.
Recognising a method in waiting
How can we spot such ideas? One sign is an approach that works in theory but fails because of a missing ingredient, such as cost, speed or adoption. When that ingredient arrives, the idea can take off quickly.
Entrepreneurs often succeed by noticing these shifts. For example, ride-sharing depended on smartphones with GPS becoming common. The concept was simple, yet the timing made it viable.
On a personal level, skills and projects can also wait. A hobby developed for fun may become valuable when circumstances change. Therefore, learning broadly creates a library of methods ready for future use.
Patience matters as well. Pushing an idea too early often leads to frustration. Moreover, waiting can allow refinement, so the method is stronger when its moment comes.
Of course, waiting must not become an excuse for inaction. Testing small versions keeps ideas alive and ready.
In the end, Lanier’s phrase reminds us that timing shapes value. Keep promising ideas close, watch for changing conditions and be ready to act.
In addition, keep a notebook of ideas that seem premature. Revisit it every few months. Conditions change faster than we expect, and an idea that looked impossible last year may now be practical. Consequently, this simple habit turns patience into a strategy rather than a passive hope.
