California's Silicon Valley is home to many of the world's most esteemed futurists. One member of this intellectual cabal is a relative newcomer. FMF is only six months old, yet boasts a client base which includes major news media organizations, high-tech corporations, Washington PACs, law firms and branches of the military. The company is fast acquiring a reputation for common sense without inflated rhetoric. And I'm not a forecaster, either.
Spool locates a folder and plops it down.
On the cover is an adhesive sticker for O'Neill surfboards. Spool's wariness about being categorized as a futurist is understandable, considering the profession's dubious track record. Professional futurists first earned their name in the 1960s, using mathematical models that ultimately were proven wrong. Asked where he fits into his group of peers, Spool merely smiles, removes his shoe and scratches a greasy foot. All those dudes like Saffo are run by committee.