Potentially inflammatory question, but I'm asking with sincere curiosity. It feels to me that the transformative era of tech is over, and we are now in "maintenance mode," for lack of a better term. The '80s and '90s revolutionized computing, and the web matured into a real platform during the '00s and '10s. The big players grew from one- or two-person projects in literal or proverbial garages into firmly established global juggernauts. (In some cases this began in the '70s.) Whole industries—publishing, entertainment, transportation, retail, communication—were fundamentally changed, and whole new ways of connecting people were developed. New ideas and technologies were sprouting up everywhere, and they were exciting and solved obvious problems. It wasn't all roses of course, and there's much discussion to be had on the externalities, but it was undeniably revolutionary.
Now it seems, to me at least, that the party is more or less over. I'm wondering if anyone else feels this way or if I've simply become jaded and cynical. (I am prone to jadedness and cynicism so this is entirely possible.) Things like "the metaverse" and the bizarrely-named "web3" feel like desperate attempts to keep finding the next big thing in a field that has simply run out of big things to find. I can't identify a single small company working on something that feels like it'll be huge—the next Google, Netflix, or what have you. The spirit of the early days seems impossible to find now.
This is just my personal experience. I would love to hear both from people who feel this way and from people who disagree.
Now it seems, to me at least, that the party is more or less over. I'm wondering if anyone else feels this way or if I've simply become jaded and cynical. (I am prone to jadedness and cynicism so this is entirely possible.) Things like "the metaverse" and the bizarrely-named "web3" feel like desperate attempts to keep finding the next big thing in a field that has simply run out of big things to find. I can't identify a single small company working on something that feels like it'll be huge—the next Google, Netflix, or what have you. The spirit of the early days seems impossible to find now.
This is just my personal experience. I would love to hear both from people who feel this way and from people who disagree.