Kubernetes -> Envoy -> Istio.<p>Yeah, yeah, it's not rockets to mars or whatever, but I think we've spend DECADES trying to figure out how to abstract away the lower parts of the stack. The last big leap was AWS, and it forced a choice for a lot of people: do you want to work at AWS? or do you want to work on applications that run on AWS? The API is so strong that you can't do both.<p>There's a similar thing around operating systems, networking tools, and containers. Heroku was a cool PaaS, but ultimately is a little too inflexible to work for everybody. Companies keep rebuilding these internal PaaS systems, and I think Kubernetes has finally nailed it. It's lacking the primitives to do traffic management and introspection, and Envoy / Istio provide those primitives.<p>Many people see these technologies as an endgame to themselves, but the Istio community has started talking about how they're a platform themselves, and that feels correct. Like AWS, you can abstract away a TON of this stuff, and you will divide people into those that keep a cluster running vs. those that build apps on top of it. The specialization gains will be on the same level as dynamic infrastructure, imho.<p>Disclaimer: I work at a company that wants to build on top of this new world, but I joined them because I believe this, not the other way around.
More so than just "blockchain" I'd say getting into distributed computing will pay dividends in the future. Understanding DC is plenty good for lots of current tech trends (big data, ML, etc), but also looks forward to the switch to trustless systems to be used in everyday life.
Robotics, but more specifically Tele operated robots. Remotely driven vehicles and remotely controlled robots.<p>There is a chance that all factory work becomes like a video game.<p>Tele-ops robotics would lead to:<p>- large-scale redistribution of physical/blue-collar jobs (bigger than "software" over last 20 years)<p>- allow new business models that were never possible in manufacturing (e.g. robots for "rent" - subscription model, gamification, flex-work like Uber for tele-operated robots in manufacturing; low-volume sales)<p>- order of magnitude better physical health of workers (lower injuries, more fun)<p>- savings for manufacturers (not just on labor, but lower insurance etc.)<p>- a 20 to 30 year hedge against the invention of general AI that seems far away and what other roboticists are chasing.<p>There is a potential to release huge latent wealth by creating a new industry (potentially trillions in value could be released over the next 10 years - no single company would capture it, but it would create something at least as big as "software").<p>Tele-ops is already successful for surgeries and dangerous situations. But it should be it’s own “field”
DC Microgrids. Massive improvements in storage, solar panels, and DC circuitry is having a massive effect on the way that people think about power. Especially utilities, appliance companies, and regulators. Also the push for electric cars is changing the demand for rapid DC charging.
Brain machine interfaces and neurotechnology. The cycle time is a little longer than releasing a new tinder app but movement in this space has been speeding up with Neuralink, Braingate, heavy investments in neuroscience worldwide with the NIH brain initiative, DARPA's numerous programs, European brain project, and massive investments from private foundations like the Simons, Wellcome trust, Allen institute, HHMI, etc.
Automation and tools that augment human productivity and time saving tools.<p>For instance, we're helping web developers to automate their regression test construction. This frees the developer up to develop their code, rather than spend all their time developing test cases: <a href="https://swif.club/?s=hn1" rel="nofollow">https://swif.club/?s=hn1</a>
AI/ML - specifically Deep Bayesian approaches. The Deep neural network might have run its course, but Bayesian approaches (Probabilistic Graph Models) hold a lot of promise.
Drones.<p>Design: increased efficiency and distance. Automation and auto pilot.<p>Applications: find new verticals to apply this technology. Many industries can be disrupted.