You can’t predict the future, but you can get close by paying attention to the zeitgeist. In this talk from a16z Summit, D’Arcy Coolican shares how to create products that follow macro trends and and gives examples of current trends capturing the attention of the media, investors, and talent teams today. D’Arcy identifies the ever-elusive concept of product zeitgeist fit including how to spot it, embrace it, and capitalize on it.

Download the slide presentation from this talk here: http://bit.ly/2RBKa0U

HIGHLIGHTS:
What is product zeitgeist fit? [0:43]
The “cheat code” to product success [01:35]
Startup “Death by 1000 shrugs” and how to avoid it [02:48]
The Four Forces that drive early product adoption [03:33]
How product zeitgeist fit has given crypto its spark [04:06]
Why clean meat is entering the zeitgeist [06:02]
The rise of income share agreements [07:30]
What's in the zeitgeist today that founders should know about [08:56]
The 4 tests to identify product zeitgeist fit [09:39]
The 3 common traits of any macro trend [11:18]

“It turns out the best way to see the future isn’t to look for what’s working, it’s to look for what isn’t working, but people still really care about. The things that are broken, and terrible, and frustrating, but still inspiring energy and enthusiasm. The things that are sitting in the zeitgeist.”

“The death of most startups isn’t because they don’t get their tech to work or their competition out-executes them. The death of most startups is indifference. They fail to launch because nobody cares.”