Starting in the 1400s, an explosion of exploration came from Europe called the Age of Discovery. In just over 100 years, the world as we know it was discovered. And it was all due to one person: Prince Henry the Navigator. We who are fortunate enough to find ourselves in rich, developed countries have enjoyed a disproportionate share of success. But we cannot move forward with a misbegotten sense of entitlement or by taking our success for granted. We have to put the foundations in place that will lead to success in a new and dramatically different world. We have …

In my last column, I tried to put some context around future search innovation by asking, "What's the point of search?" Cribbing from Wikipedia's definition for matching theory, I landed on solving problems by using math or science to remove friction and create economically favorable outcomes for all. If this, indeed, is the point of search, then what's the point of search marketing?

When you have to go on the go, where do you go? Yes, even the vertical of toilet search engines is rife with competition. There may be some kinds of searches that are more critical, like when you have an emergency need for a plumber or a proctologist. But on that curve of searches that are both critical to your well-being and likely to arise in an average month, the need for a good bathroom search engine hits that sweet spot; parents with young children will find such engines especially useful. It's time to seek out the No. 1 bathroom …