That’s it. It’s relatively easy. There’s nothing that can be future-proof. This is true regardless of the promises made by marketing materials or keynote speakers.
We can prepare for different futures. We can work on resilience, antifragility, or adaptability. But there is no way to ensure that anything from an organization to a building or a strategy is “future-proof.” The future doesn’t work that way.
Until the future becomes the present, it is open and uncertain. And as long as we can’t be certain about the future, we can’t be sure that our plans will work out until they have to prove themselves in the future present.
Indeed, people frequently use this term when discussing general future preparation. “Future-proofing” refers to keeping devices compatible and buildings adaptable to future use.
But I find using this specific term—which suggests certainty—fascinating, primarily when used in marketing. It serves as a potent indication of the human desire to anticipate future events and ensure readiness. And the more known unknowns we become aware of, the stronger the urge becomes to go for the solution that promises to be future-proof.
And thus, as usual, “future-proof” has nothing to do with future presents and everything with present futures. The future is not real until it becomes the present. It only exists in our heads as images, hopes, dreams, fears, wishes, anticipations, and expectations.
“Future-proofing” means doing something in the present to keep the anxieties about the future at bay. And that’s completely fine and can be helpful. However, we shouldn’t deceive ourselves into believing that just because something bears the label “future-proof,” it will remain safe in the future.