A new era is beginning. Some people content themselves with saying that a new economic cycle has begun. Some people go a bit further and claim that beginning of a few different economic cycles have coincided. Some others go much further and claim that a new age has begun.

A new era is beginning. And an era is closing. What’s been done in history time and again is happening again.

A new era is beginning. Industrial Revolution is entering a new phase. Economic cycles are completed and new ones are beginning. Like all the new eras, this new era is affecting every field. It brings along many social, political, and economic changes.

Like each phase of Industrial Revolution and every economic cycle, this is reshaping the business world, as well. It is changing the sectors, companies and perspectives of doing business. Just as the need for increasing, fast and safe transportation combined with steam power caused the growth of the railway sector and companies, just as the need for efficient management of the growing railway companies gave birth to bureaucracy, software and digital technologies sector, too, is looking for its post bureaucracy “agile”, “resilient”, “alive” and “without iron cage” management understanding.

As in every new era, this new era has transformative human needs, leaps in consciousness, and scientific and technological inventions. Just as the need for security gave birth to feudalism, just as national consciousness changed the world starting from Europe, just as the steam energy and electrical energy transformed the industries, the changing need for security, new awareness emerging after globalization and developing digital technologies are all shaping the new era.

As in every new era, this new era has its crises that create initiation and acceleration. Just as the oil crisis and the disintegration of the Eastern Block started and accelerated the previous period, the 2008 World Economic Crisis and Covid-19 have the same effect on this new era.

As in every new era, this new era has its transformative and pioneer sectors. Whatever the textile, railways, and automotive industry were in the previous stages of the industrial revolution, it is the software and digital new technologies sector in the new era.

As in every new era, there are pioneering companies that are emulated in this new era, lanterns for those who disappeared in the "red oceans", role models for those who come behind. Whatever the East India Company, Ford, GM, Toyota, GE were in the previous periods, it is Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Samsung in the new era.

The corporate strategies, business models, business approaches and cultures of these leading sectors and companies are emulated and imitated not only in the sectors they are in, but also in all sectors. All other companies are trying to be like these companies. They look at their strategies and business models and try to revise, develop and transform theirs.

They want to be managed like them: like an agile and cross-functional software development team.

They want to make investment decisions like them: like a venture capitalist.

They want to liken their own culture to theirs: taking risks, not afraid of experimenting and failure, telling about their "fuck-ups" with pleasure by making fun of themselves, learning from their failure, noticing their failure early and consuming resources, trying again with the resources they have set aside.

So where are you and your company in the new era? How ready are you for the new era? How much do you know the new era?

New Era is beginning!