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Technology Wave Pattern

Reusability

A framework for identifying and categorizing major technological shifts that create trillion-dollar opportunities approximately every decade

How It Works

Technology adoption follows predictable waves where new capabilities unlock entirely new categories of value creation. Each wave builds on previous infrastructure and creates 10+ years of entrepreneurial opportunity

Components

1

Information wave (1990s): ability to find anything - Google, Amazon

2

Communication wave (2000s): human coordination - Facebook, Uber, social media

3

Value wave (2010s): digital money and assets - Bitcoin, Ethereum

4

Intelligence wave (2020s): AI doing intelligent work - agents, automation

When to Use

When evaluating whether you're riding a major wave or just a trend, and for timing market entry

When Not to Use

For short-term tactical decisions or when looking at incremental improvements

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Confusing smaller trends with major wavesJumping between waves instead of riding one fullyEntering too late in the wave cycle

Example

The intelligence wave (AI) is comparable to the internet wave - it will create multiple trillion-dollar companies and reshape how work gets done, just like internet reshaped access to information