Business @ The Speed of Thought...

I have started reading Bill Gates book, Business @ The Speed of Thought. I am very intrigued by how many of his predictions have come true. He wrote in 1999 and was predicting the ways that we would use digital resources in the future. It was really interesting to me. I suppose much of the reason his predictions were right was because they were not predictions at all, but his vision of where technology needs to go. This is an interesting look at how one man and a company with the right vision and resources can literally direct an entire nation and effectively the world.
Gates' point of the book is the in order to be effective in business, you must be able to respond immediately to the information that is being compiled about your company, customer base, and products. I think most businesses have incorporated most of his ideas into the way they do business. I now do all of my banking on-line, as do a lot of people my age. Not only am I personally connected with my bank and information immediately, my bank is also collecting data and able to get real time feedback from me on processes that work well or poorly.
What strikes me is about this book, is how much thought and time goes into business dealings. How much effort and emphasis. How much data and information. Businesses can now run at a fluid pace because they take the time and effort to collect data and put pressure on themselves to be at the top of their game. And for what? Money? Success? To put out a better widget? I am still trying to assimilate all of this, but I am asking myself, how do we do a better job as the whole-salers of grace to this world? How do we keep up? How do we not just keep up, but lead out? I'm not totally sure, but I know we must deal with these issues. The culture is becoming so fluid, we must find a way to flow with and ahead...