Futurist and best-selling author reconsiders the auto industry after driving a Tesla

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Matt Pressman

Daniel Burrus is author of seven books including the best-sellers Flash Foresight and TechnoTrends. The New York Times referred to him as one of the top three business gurus in spectacularly high demand as a speaker. It turns out that Burrus recently decided it was time for a new SUV. Something unusual happened when he decided to take the Tesla Model X on a test drive.

Above: Driving the Tesla Model X (Image: Tesla)

He recounts that he'd also taken test drives with the newest SUVs from BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Cadillac. "However, it was when I drove the Tesla Model X that I felt like I was driving in the future. After that test drive, my view of the other brands was changed. All the others instantly felt like the past," says Burrus.

"Buying a car has always been both a left-brain and a right-brain experience. On one hand, we would love to buy that just-out-of-reach dream car, the one that our emotional, creative side would love to have. On the other hand, our rational, logical, sensible mind wants the car to be safe, economical and not too expensive. Tesla has found a way to do both," said Burrus. Granted, the company's Model X is pricey. Yet Model 3 now offers that Tesla experience at a lower price point.

Above: Fun, futuristic Tesla Model X features (Image: Tesla)

"Tesla is already offering a wealth of future-oriented features — features that can save lives, features you know we will all have someday — [which] has the power to change how potential customers think," notes Burrus. He adds, "From a customer experience perspective, that’s a powerful shift. Any time you can make the competition seem like they are offering yesterday’s features and functions, and you are offering tomorrow’s, you can accelerate growth."

Burrus' latest book, The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change Into Opportunity and Advantage, is an Amazon #1 Hot New Release for Business. The futurist points to Elon Musk's Tesla as a prime example of this phenomenon. He writes, "Tesla, like Amazon, is what I call an Anticipatory Organization, one that identifies the Hard Trends that will happen and then uses that knowledge to turn disruption and change into its biggest advantage."

Left: Daniel Burrus about to step into a Tesla Model X; Right: Burrus' latest book, The Anticipatory Organization (Image: Burrus Research)

And this advantage extends beyond Tesla's customers. It's a recruiting edge as well. Burrus asks, "With all of this in mind, where would the greatest young engineering talent want to work? Ford, General Motors or Tesla? I suspect that Tesla would attract the talent because it is showcasing the future, today."

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Source: Burrus Research

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