Looking for Opportunity

1: Regulation:  Increasing legalization of Marijuana

Information regarding this issue is widely available through any news source.  Anytime a product moves from being illegal to legal there is going to be massive opportunities throughout the supply chain and in adjacent industries.  The prototypical customers are numerous and diverse.  The opportunities are not without complications, due to differences among states and the continued illegality on the Federal level, but for those located in the right markets the opportunities can be relatively easy to exploit.

My wife's parents recently moved from Germany to Colorado, and have become increasingly interested in getting involved with the marijuana industry.  I also worked with a woman who went on to co-found the organization Women Grow, which is the largest collective of female marijuana growers and promoters in the world, so I've witnessed the tremendous potential of entering this industry.


2. Trend:  Massive, increasing investment in VR



According to TechCrunch, more than $1.1 billion was invested in Virtual and Augmented Reality technology in the first 2 months on 2016 alone.  Reports even indicate Apple might be developing its own entrant into the field, which would greatly bolster an industry which already includes the likes of Google, Microsoft, FaceBook, Samsung, Sony and HTC.  The available opportunities exist not only for the produces of hardware, but also for developers, film and music producers, writers, manufacturing, government/military applications, and numerous industries that are likely to begin incorporating this technology into their fields and future plans.  Exploiting these opportunities with require a certain level of technological sophistication, but for people possessing these skills the number of opportunities available is vast.

I've had a lifelong interest in technology, electronics and the video game industry, so the resurgence of VR/AR recently has long been on my radar, and I've watched the process unfolding.


3.  Regulation:  EU to Make Publicly Funded Scientific Research findings Publicly Available

In an article from Engadget, the author discuses a recent decision by the European Union to make a majority of research papers and scientific data, which have been either partially or fully funded through public money, freely available to the public.  This greatly levels the playing field in many industries, where previously larger companies had greater access to expensive information regarding scientific advances, social and demographics data, etc...  This can be readily useful to people of any field or industry, and will be incredibly easy to exploit.

I subscribe and keep up with many scientific journals, so the prospect of having easier access to this information is very exciting to me.


4.  Trend:  Revolt Against the Open office Environment

NPR recently profiled a trend that has been occurring in which office workers are rejecting the open office format, and seeking a return to walls and private spaces.  Ultimately the trend is becoming towards more varied office environments, in which open and communal spaces are interspersed with private areas where workers can experience a more secluded, quiet space.  I believe this provides a great opportunity for office planners, as the increasing prominence of a new office format will lead to increasing interest from businesses looking for experts in layout and design of their office spaces.  The typical customers will be businesses with a significant number of office workers and dedicated office space.  As the trend is still in it's early stages, it's easily exploitable by anybody with experience of knowledge of the industry.

I work in an office, and have experienced a strong need to seclude myself during certain projects, but have also experienced a strong disconnect from my coworkers when I lacked the option of working alongside them.