Invest In Mockery

A strategy for identifying future trends by looking at behaviors that mainstream media and society currently mock or find unusual, particularly in Silicon Valley.

Core Strategy

• Look for behaviors/trends that are initially ridiculed by mainstream media
• Pay attention to niche communities and "freaks" who are early adopters
• Focus on unique lifestyle behaviors that seem weird but have dedicated followers
• Watch what Silicon Valley does - it often predicts mainstream adoption

Historical Examples of Mocked Trends That Went Mainstream

• Health & Wellness

  • Intermittent fasting - initially mocked when Microsoft executives did it
  • Meditation - ridiculed before becoming "the new yoga"
  • Wearing masks - VCs were mocked for wearing them pre-COVID
  • Breathwork - currently where meditation was years ago

• Fitness

  • Jogging in the 1970s
    • People thought runners were fleeing from police
    • Bill Bowerman brought it from New Zealand
    • Led to founding of Nike
    • Became a massive cultural phenomenon

• Technology

  • Twitch/Game Streaming
    • Initially only 2% of Justin.tv traffic
    • People spending 8 hours watching others play games seemed bizarre
    • Became a massive platform
    • Success came from leaning into "weird behavior"

Current Emerging Trends to Watch

• Stem cell treatments
• Blood platelet spinning
• Gene editing
• Breathwork practices
• Any behavior that seems strange but has dedicated communities

Where to Find These Trends

• Reddit communities
• Online forums
• Niche hobby groups
• Silicon Valley early adopters
• Type "[hobby] + forum" into search engines

The key is to look past initial skepticism and examine why dedicated communities are forming around these behaviors.