As a former special ops guy, student of war and prognosticator on the future of peace, John Robb has garnered quite a bit of attention in recent years for his view on an increasingly unstable global future and how resilient communities are one of the few things that can hold it all together.
Robb turns his attention back to the future today with some advice for the younger set.
Learn to be an entrepreneur, and how to make things, he says. Go to college -- but a state or community college will do. Learn to sell. And while you're at it:
Learn to make/repair things. Learn computer aided design CAD/CAM. Ride the wave in learning laser etching, 3D printing, and other fabrication techniques. Learn how to use traditional tools and explore materials science and basic electronics/circuit design. Hack existing products (copy what others have done to spool up on the process) to improve them or put them to unintended uses. Add some biohacking to the mix if you are so inclined.
Learn how to communicate/collaborate with others online. Better yet, learn how to use a scripting language and design/operate an interactive Web site. Learn how to build a database and structure/share data (xml). Get the hang of publishing online and building/growing an audience -- it's a great way not only to market product/yourself, but find collaborators on ventures.
It's the pathway to becoming a one person company, he says.
In reflection, this recipe is also a route to become a one man/woman army.
