Podcast

Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster – TWMJ #1009

Welcome to episode #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

The future isn’t something to predict… it’s something to practice. Few people embody that idea more completely than Nick Foster, a designer, futurist and author whose work has quietly influenced some of the most innovative companies on the planet – from Sony, Nokia, and Dyson to Google X, where he served as head of design. In his new book, Could Should Might Don’t – How We Think About The Future, Nick challenges the way we imagine what comes next. Rather than offering forecasts, he explores four mindsets – could, should, might, and don’t – that shape how individuals and organizations approach uncertainty. In this conversation, Nick reflects on his evolution from industrial design to futures thinking, examining how curiosity fuels creativity, why nostalgia shapes our forward gaze and how responsibility must now sit at the core of every design decision. He questions the seductive influence of science fiction on our collective imagination and unpacks the cultural anxieties that accompany rapid technological change. What emerges is not a roadmap to the future but a framework for thinking. One grounded in humility, storytelling and the courage to sit with what we don’t yet know. For Nick, futures design is not about prediction… it’s about perspective. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:01:27.
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Here is my conversation with Nick Foster.
Could Should Might Don’t – How We Think About The Future.
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Chapters:

(00:00) – Introduction to Futures Design.
(02:55) – Curiosity and Creativity in Design.
(06:01) – Exploring the Future: Challenges and Opportunities.
(08:58) – The Role of Responsibility in Design.
(12:01) – Cultural Shifts and the Future.
(14:59) – Navigating the Unknown: The Importance of Questions.
(17:49) – The Impact of Nostalgia on Future Thinking.
(20:46) – The Role of Science Fiction in Shaping Futures.
(24:05) – The Anxiety of Possibility: Handling the ‘Might’.
(27:10) – The Importance of Humility in Future Predictions.
(29:46) – Embracing Uncertainty and Curiosity.

Download the Podcast here: #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

Before you go… ThinkersOne gives you direct access to the experts shaping tomorrow’s conversations. Get their insights on leadership, AI, culture and innovation all delivered to your team before the rest of the world catches on. Ideal for your meetings, off-sites, and lunch & learns.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.