THE DIGITAL DEMOCRACY SPEAKS:  The consulting firm Deloitte just published its annual Digital Democracy research study.  It’s a fascinating snapshot of our society’s digital consumption and trends.  The biggest takeaways from this year’s edition are: 1) The fragmentation of traditional TV, 2) The rise of skippable/blocking functionality for consumers of digital media, and 3) The growing power of social influencers on the purchase funnel.  There’s a ton in here, so I’ll just let you read it for yourself.  Warning though, it’s a fairly long piece.  So maybe save it for when you have a quiet 15 minutes.  I’ve downloaded the pdf for you here.   Deloitte Digital Democracy 11

SPOTIFY CONSIDERING A DIRECT LISTING?:  On Tuesday I mentioned the IPO dilemma Spotify could be in if/when they attempt to go public later this year.  With a VC-based valuation north of $10B it’s hard to imagine many investment banks jumping on that stock in the pre-buy period.  As a workaround rumors have started swirl about Spotify going the direct listing route instead – meaning they would just start selling stock on their own without doing a true IPO.  This is a creative way to go public without having to true up a real valuation number.  However by doing this they won’t be able to raise any new capital, since there will be no upfront institutional stock purchase.  Admittedly I’m a little out of my depth on Wall Street intricacies like this, so I can’t speak to the pros/cons of a direct listing in this situation.  But it feels like a little bit of a financial shell game to avoid crushing some of their initial VC investors.

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET WEIRD IN TECH:  Finally I’d like to give you something deep to noodle on over the weekend.  Imagine a day, within the next 10 years, when smart phones are no longer the primary tool for communication.  If the predictions in the attached Business Insider article are accurate, a handsetless world could be in our near future.  We’re already starting to see the beginnings of this through the Internet Of Things.  Voice is replacing touch as the primary input method for many new connected devices. Wearables (on the wrist, in the ear, etc.) are supplanting screens to create a full-sensory experience.  And perhaps what’s most startling of all is the idea of “neural lacing” technology, which is a computer webbing which would be surgically laid across the brain to physiologically connect computer and human together.  (Pause for a moment . . . reread that last sentence.)  Instead of worrying about having enough money for the new iPhone 13 a few years from now, you could be going to some sort of tech doctor’s office to be brain-fitted with your own embedded computing device.  Crazy to think of, right?  Those of us who can remember living in a world with no internet at all (Al Gore hadn’t invented it yet), understand that the march of technology is constantly moving forward, constantly speeding up.  So who’s ready to go full Terminator and get fitted for their neural lacing with me?!?

Have a great Friday (and weekend) guys!