• by Sal Fuentes , Yesterday

I'm constantly asking myself, my teams and my colleagues: What second- and third-order effects of today's innovations will become tomorrow's biggest opportunities? As I write this, we are witnessing fascinating examples of strategic value creation unfold in real time.

For instance, consider GLP-1 medications. By now, we're all familiar with their impacts on healthcare. But I must confess: as grateful as I am for these medications and the life-changing benefits they're providing to millions of people around the world, the healthcare story isn't what I’m finding most compelling.

Zooming Out: The GLP-1 Story Beyond Healthcare

Now consider just a few of the ripple effects already taking shape:

-- Restaurants are reporting that many GLP-1 users order smaller portions and choose protein-rich meals, forcing operators to reconsider menu design, pricing and profitability, according to the Wall Street Journal.

-- Apparel retailers are seeing purchasing patterns shift as consumers' bodies change, disrupting long-established norms around sizing, inventory and merchandising, according to Bloomberg.

-- Life insurers are rethinking decades-old underwriting assumptions as GLP-1 adoption reshapes traditional models of health, longevity and long-term risk, according to Investopedia.

And that’s just the start; as I write this, Nestlé is making headlines for developing new products for GLP-1 users experiencing the side effects that can accompany rapid weight loss. In the new normal we’re rapidly moving toward, how should airlines think about seating design, fuel economics and ticket pricing? What might theme parks, theaters and stadiums need to rethink about the guest experience? How might appliance manufacturers redefine the role of the kitchen as the way consumers shop, cook and eat evolves?

I don't have all the answers, but I do know this: The companies that are first to ask these types of questions—and turn their foresight into the right products, services and growth strategies—will emerge as the market leaders and category-defining brands in the years to come.

Anticipation: The Marketer’s Ultimate Superpower

I’m lucky to have been around long enough to see this play out time and time again: a trend gains traction, every brand (and their mother, stepbrother and weird uncle) scrambles to react, and the result is an oversaturated, genericized marketplace where originality gets lost in the noise. Meanwhile, by the time most marketing teams have made their move—with strategy approved, creative finalized, sales ready and campaign launched—one of two things has happened: The opportunity has already peaked, or the trend has faded altogether.

If your objective is to create sustainable value, you must anticipate how transformative products will reshape their surrounding ecosystems over the long term. This is the essence of being a strategic thinker.

Google and Amazon may be ubiquitous today, but they became industry giants by betting on how the internet would profoundly change consumer behavior long before anyone else. Uber bet on how smartphones would disrupt transportation, while Netflix bet on how streaming would reshape the way people consumed entertainment.

From GLP-1s to AI to the space economy to longevity medicine and well beyond, these major shifts are creating second- and third-order effects that go far beyond the immediately obvious. Cultivate the skill of identifying those ripples early, and you'll position yourself and your company to shape markets instead of playing catch-up. In this “Era of the Exceptional,” seeing beyond the obvious is the path to accelerated success.