Mary Meeker and KPCB’s Internet Trends is probably the definitive source on the latest Internet Trends. It has been published for 20 years. I’ve found that it also serves as a treasure trove of information on technology and economic trends – two areas I enjoy and follow.
I checked out the 2015 report very recently and was I surprised? The report covered a wide range and were fascinating:
- Key Internet trends
- Re-imagining the way people use technology
- Big Internet markets
- Evolving US work environments
- Private/public company data
My four takeaways are summarized below. I should admit that the first one stunned me and the other three surprised me:
1) China and India as % of Global GDP
- China was 33% of global GDP in 1820 and 16% in 2014
- India was 16% of global GDP in 1820 and 7% in 2014
- US was 2% of global GDP in 1820 and 16% in 2014
- Europe was 27% of global GDP in 1820 and 17% in 2014
Maybe I didn’t pay much attention during my MBA economics class, but the % of GDP numbers for China and India were an eye-opener. The #s put in perspective the claims of some that China and India have yet to regain their “lost economic glory”. After all, it may not just be a matter of pride. In a few decades will China reach at least 25% and Indian reach at least 12% of global GDP? Refer slide 95 of the report for further details.
2) Innovations in the Enterprise space
Innovation in the Enterprise technology space was particularly illuminating, where the Entrepreneurs “often pursue prior company pain points”. I haven’t even heard about some of the companies and I believe are worth checking. Here is the list of companies listed. Refer slides starting 30 for further details.
- Slack
- Stripe
- Intercom
- Gainsight
- Directly
- Zenefits
- Anaplan
- Greenhouse
- Checkr
- GuideSpark
- Envoy
- Square
- Domo
- DocuSign
3) Freelancers as % of US workforce
More people than ever are working in flexible/supplemental jobs in the USA. Freelancers are the significant and growing part of the overall US workforce @ 34% i.e. more than one-third of the entire workforce. Refer slides starting 125.
4) Mobile viewing as % across all platforms
Mobile viewing is 29% vs. 5% just five years ago in US. We spend close to one-third of our overall time viewing on mobile screens compared to all (including TVs, laptops, desktops) platforms. Refer slides starting 24.