A Story of Product & How We Are Becoming the Commodies We Create

Note; this piece was originally written as a dissertation and has been adapted for this site.

Preface

Attention is all you need.

When I first started to write this piece over two years ago (the final months of 2020), generative Al was a technology that could only begin to be useful in mainstream application, such as writing marketing copy, or blog posts. This was the advent of GPT. Not many people knew about it, but through working in tech I was fortunate to have an early view on what was to come.

I then decided to experiment paying for an generative Al product, built specifically for marketing, to understand if, and how, I could maintain a dialogue with it to write - prompting the Al in a way that would help me deepen the understanding of my own thoughts. It was intended to be an automated and always accessible intellectually prompted sparring partner. Ultimately it was an awkward experience, like using a fork to eat soup, but it was an experience that was captivating to explore.

Now, writing again in two years later, AI (namely Large Language Models) have since come a long way, and so have my thoughts about the future of technology & culture. I decided to entirely scrap the draft of my last go at writing this and start anew, once again taking Al as my creative sparring partner. I have used Al as a mediator of my own thoughts, in the same way that one would exchange thoughts and ideas with friends, colleagues and mentors, and even as we read the work of others. Everything we do is built on the shoulders of who came before us. GPT has been no different.

However, the difference with this specific dialogue is that the sparring is with a refined version of humanity's own collective intelligence - becoming my own personal friend that, despite containing little of it's own critical thought, broadly understands the entirety of recorded human endeavour, relaying back its 'thoughts' through a deceptively simple chat interface.

In that, exploring the implications of "product" has proven itself even more relevant today. Before, writing a piece like this would have been written through the gathering of intelligence through experience, insight, intuition, resource and network. Yet now all the above has been productised into a free-to-use chatbot. Things are changing fast. And since our collective intelligence has now been commoditised, what else is to come? Our careers? friendship? love? Our bodies? What about reality itself?

Introduction

"We Shape Our Buildings; Thereafter They Shape Us" - Winston Churchill

This line, said by Sir Winston Churchill in his speech to the meeting in the House of Lords, October 28, 1943. Churchill was requesting that the House of Commons bombed out in May 1941 be rebuilt exactly as before. It was a declaration that the House of Commons was not only a reflection of the democratic society that built it, but also British democracy was a reflection of the building that housed it. What we make, makes us.

Although stated in entirely practical terms, Churchill reveals a human phenomenon. The human ability to create, and to be entirely influenced by our own creations. Churchill explicitly mentions the building, but beyond the building as a human creation, it can be extrapolated. Humankind is fundamentally set apart from other animals, through its ability as a toolmaker. We make tools to extend our natural abilities. Tools to learn, tools to extract, tools to trade, tools to eat, tools to shelter, tools to communicate, and so on.

However, expanding on this phenomenon, we come into another. Through our ability to create, we as humans, also have an extraordinary ability to communicate. And in these abilities, humanity has an inherent means of creating a sort of collective intelligence called culture. Culture is constructed of all of the creations before our own lives, during our lives, as well as the desires that bring around creations of the future. Thoughts become things, informing our direction both personally & beyond. Personally and collectively.

Culture, like biology, is a continuous process of optimisation, fuelled by trial & error. Shaped by its context, culture reacts to fluctuating conditions and pressures. Within the realm of culture, this evolutionary process encompasses the growth, dissemination, and modification of ideas, principles, beliefs, and customs that form society. As communities interact and acquire knowledge, they refine their cultural practices, adopting perceived advancement that subsequently contributes to the continuous evolution of human culture,

[resulting in progressive prosperity in an ever-evolving world, while simultaneously shaping the very essence of human experience.]

People use their inherent creative ability to create things that aid with survival, and add value to it. We engineer technical ways to solve the inherent problems that get in our way, and we then use the marketplace to sell these solutions to others, both as a means of increasing wealth and status, which again help us to increase our odds of survival and provide a value past survival itself.

Product, as assumed from the perspective of GDP or from that of your iPhone, is the means in which humans are able to create, capture and consume the value created by society. In this I'd argue that product is the defining term of the 21st century and that it's impact on shaping our lives is much more entrenched than we realise.

Thus we build on the argument that the pinnacle of cultural evolution is the product, an embodiment of human creativity, technical advancement, and economic activity. If culture is the essence of human experience, product is the tangible output. And although there is much to be optimistic about in the progressive arc of human activity, this shift towards a product-centric worldview has also raised serious economic, philosophical, and spiritual questions. Often times it can feel like the commodities we create are creating us, almost to a fault. Therefore the purpose of my writing here is to evaluate the argument, and to use it to understand the trends of the future, where product moves to being a reality we live with, to being a reality that we are.

Questions/Problem statement

I believe that there is an unexplored and underdeveloped understanding of the overall system that underpins society today, and that the idea of product, and productisation, presents that system in a holistic and coherent way. However, the piece aims to explore a few questions: Is there any truth to the notion of product? Is understanding product as a worldview beneficial to placing ourselves in today's world? Or understanding the trends of today that will lead to the future? How will the trends of product and productisation change how we live? Can it help us remain optimistic when the media and our own experiences tells us to be the opposite?

Through a critical analysis of this worldview I will undertake a historical analysis of the trends of product, and productisation, seeking answers to the key questions of where we really are, as well as offering insight into an inevitable future.

Definitions

In the context of this writing, the terms "product" and "productisation" have been used to explore different aspects of the same underlying phenomenon. The two terms are often used interchangeably as a way of seeing the world - or a worldview, if you will.

"Product" is formally defined as "a thing or person that is the result of an action or process."s generally understood is an item (often an object) that is created or developed to fulfil a specific need or desire. However, this piece uses product to represent a concept - a package of human creativity, technology, and economic activity, created specifically for consumption. It is the broad outcome of iterative optimisation and commodification by people as a whole. It is ultimately an idea that represents the combination of the creativity, technical ability & economic activity of collective humanity as embodied in culture.

"Productisation" on the other hand refers to the process of becoming a product, like commodifying of a cuisine, philosophy or an individual personality. Productisation also encompasses the broader societal and cultural trends that result from the increasing commodification of human activity, such as labour, yet has also began to encompass other activity, such as social relationships, and identity.

With their use, "product" and "productisation" are related in this piece of writing, "Product" refer- ring to the concept itself, whereas "productisation" refers to the broader trends. Other words used to point to similar themes are optimisation, innovation, technology, growth.

The Emergence and Rise of Product: A Short History

[diagram]

"The future of business is the meshing of art, science, and technology to create new markets." - Tom Peters

For millennia, people have engaged in buying, exchanging, and obtaining items from each other, through exchange of these objects or through the medium of money. As of today, we have seen society gain access to a bounty of goods and services of unprecedented abundance, most of which are not essential for living, but are now intended to make us happier, more comfortable and improve our status in society. But where does this idea of consumption come from?

"Consumption was beginning to take place more often, in more places, under new influences, by new groups, in pursuit of new goods, for social and cultural needs."

In "Culture & Consumption", Grant McCracken traces the evolution of consumer habits in Western society through three key moments. The first began with the Elizabethan family in 16th century England, which prompted a "spectacular consumer boom" as they sought to maintain their social status by purchasing portraits, furniture, and antiques?. The second moment, in the 18th century, marked the birth of modern consumer culture, characterised by an increasing variety of goods, changing attitudes, and the emergence of fashions. The third moment, in the 19th century, established the consumer revolution as a structural feature of social life, with the emergence of department stores and consumer lifestyles influencing society and consumption patterns in a continuous cycle of change.

Building on the insights shared here, we can further expand on the evolution of consumer habits through the lens of product. Where the realm of basic consumerism has been mobilised by industrial expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries. A time that brought around profound shifts in technology, manufacturing methodologies, and economic structures enabling the production of goods and services at an unprecedented scale.

This understanding is not only crucial in grasping the role of commerce in product, but also reveals that products aren't just mere economic artefacts or objects. Rather, they represent an inexectricable facet of human progression, one that gained momentum with the advent of industrial processes.

Moreover, with the continued evolution of commerce and industry in society, it can be said that the definition of 'product has transcended the realm of physical goods. Today, product encompasses not only objects but intangibles too. Services, experiences, ideas and even people. A shift that has been driven by advancements in communication technologies, globalisation, and the growing influence of the knowledge economy.

The Cultural Significance of Productisation

It is this progress that has brought us to where we are today. However, beyond objective living standards increasing by a magnitude, the scale of consumption made possible by this progress has caused a shift in collective worldview, causing a movement towards a industrial, product-centric worldview, and away from a worldview that is purely traditional through a combination of inherent human nature, survival & the popular religious movements of a time.

This major objective progress has brought around new economic realities which have also accelerated liberal progress. Exhibiting a complex relationship between the economy, culture and the individual identity, this progress is deeply linked to social movements such as women's rightsis & the abolition of slavery. This is because as societies become more affluent, they tend to adopt more liberal values, often leading to greater personal freedom, individualism, and tolerance for diversity.

Whilst this product-centric worldview has undoubtedly contributed to significant improvements in living standards, the relationship between this objective progress does not necessarily translate into improvements in subjective qualities - such as the happiness or fulfilment that we often assume was present through faux spiritual depth. This has created a polarised view of the progressive nature of product.

This exact polarisation can be seen in the increase of leisure over the past 200 years. The pleasure promised by leisure (a result of objective improvements in living standards) has led people to a sense of spiritual anguish caused by the luxury of free time, leaving individuals more time to grapple with existential questions that only humans are capable to comprehend, where the search for meaning, and feelings of emptiness or dissatisfaction have become commonplace. All the while the pressures of work lure individuals into higher stress in order to perform and keep up with global competition.

The advent of leisure has inevitable raised questions about the direction we are headed. The potential consequences of relentless economic growth and the commodification of human experiences and desires [something]. For instance, the environmental impacts of mass consumption and production have become increasingly evident, as resource depletion, pollution, and climate change threaten the sta- biliry of ecosystems and human societies. These are yet more problems that product will likely solve - but the question remains, why solve all these problems in the first place?

Therefore, understanding the mechanics and motivations for productisation in the first place is the first step to understanding just how culturally significant the idea of product truly is. Today many of the major milestones that we rely, and dispute, have been touched by the creative, technical and economic progress that underpins the notion of product. Yet the path remains long and winding. Therefore, understanding its significance is the first step into understanding how we can navigate this complex landscape of our own creation, and shape the landscape towards a better end.

A Snapshot of Product Today

Today's landscape of 'product is marked by a broad diversity spanning physical objects, services, and even people. Physical objects range from basic consumer goods to highly sophisticated technologies, such as smartphones and Al-powered software. The service sector has greatly expanded, encompassing everything from digital streaming platforms to ride-sharing apps and remote learning platforms. 'People' as products has emerged as a unique trend, particularly in the era of social media influencers, where individuals can package and sell their personal brand. This expansive scope reflects a significant evolution from traditional, tangible goods to highly abstract and intangible manifestations of product.

The Mechanics and Motivations for Productisation: Origins and Drivers

"The 80/20 Principle asserts that a minority of causes, inputs, or effort usually leads to a majority of the results, outputs, or rewards." - Richard Koch

An intriguing way to perceive productisation lies at the intersection of the nature versus nurture debate. At its core, the genesis of productisation can be likened to a tug-of-war between innate human propensities (nature) and reactions to their environment (nature).

At their core, human beings have an inherent drive to create, innovate, and improve their living conditions. This natural propensity, coupled with the need to survive (through the acquisition of resources) and the desire for status, has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated products and services over time.

This is because, from an evolutionary standpoint those who can create and adapt better tools and products tend to have a competitive advantage in terms of survival and reproduction. This need to successfully reproduce places a major pressure on the natural drivers of human activity, forcing a greater contribution as individuals look for better ways to increase their livelihood and thus maintain a higher chance of both surviving themselves whilst also producing successful offspring. Ultimately, it is this competitive instinct and drive for advancement that lies at the heart of our collective push for productivity, a shift that we will explore in greater depth.

The Push for Productivity

The push for productivity can be seen as a natural extension of innate human tendencies. It is fuelled by an ever-present desire to optimise resources, save time, and generate better results. Not only improving the chance of survival, but the value of survivals. In the complex fabric of human interactions, the role of status remains paramount, acting as a motivating force driving this push for productivity.

It's a factor that underpins not just personal and professional endeavour, but also the progression of societies at large. In the race for status, individuals and corporations strive to innovate, improve, and display their superiority, often by generating and utilising superior products of services. Creation, in turn, becomes a symbol of achievement and status, an embodiment of productivity.

As the landscape of creation changes, this fuels the endless cycle of productisation, influencing not just the economic landscape, but also societal structures and cultural norms. Moreover, status competition transcends local boundaries, intensifying in the context of globalisation. The push for productivity has been further amplified by the emergence of the information age and globalisation. As companies compete on a global scale, the pressure to streamline processes and reduce costs has intensified. This has resulted in an endless pursuit of efficiency, with organisations constantly seeking ways to outperform their competitors by developing and adopting innovative strategies, technologies, and business models.

The Practicality and Limitations of Product as a Concept

The practicality of product lies in its ability to satisfy human needs and desires, improve our qual- ity of life, and drive economic growth. The development and adoption of new products and ser- vices have led to advancements in technology, healthcare, transportation, and communication, among other areas?. When compared to even a near past, these innovations have undeniably made our lives more convenient, efficient, and enjoyable in many ways?.

The practicality of product can be seen in the ways it drives economic growth and creates em- ployment opportunities. As new products and services are developed, industries expand, and markets evolve. This dynamic process leads to the creation of new jobs, promotes competition, and incentivises ongoing innovations?. The practical benefits of advancements in product extend beyond the direct improvements they bring to various aspects of human life. As argued by Mokyr?, these advancements create a cumu- lative process that spurs further innovation, allowing individuals to build upon the achievements of their predecessors. This concept, often referred to as "standing on the shoulders of giants* has facilitated the rapid acceleration of human progress and fostered deep fulfilment and creativity.

However, there are limitations to the concept of product as well. One key limitation is that the relentless pursuit of new and improved products can sometimes overshadow the importance of addressing social and environmental concerns. The race to create the next big thing can lead to the neglect of ethical considerations, worker exploitation, and ecological damage.

Further, it is important to remember that the concept of a product doesn't wholly capture or rep- resent the spectrum of intangible human activities and experiences. This is especially significant in the realm of culture, emotion, and human interaction, which are not always commodifyable or translatable into material goods or services.

It is essential, therefore, to re-conceptualise product as an adaptive concept that will shift to prior- itise new issues as they occur and become more urgent. Just like movements like sexual libera- tion, climate & feminism shadow deeper societal problems, the landscape of product adapts to patch the holes in the landscape. We will see later, just how nascent technologies solve existing problems, just as they create new ones.

The Applicability of Product as a worldview

The premise of product provides us with a unique vantage point to unravel the complex dynamics of our modern society. Through this lens, we can perceive the inception, crafting, and consumption of products as central to human enterprises, linking the essence of our activities with our creative spirit, technological progress, and the marketplace. This viewpoint unveils how the oscilla- tion of supply and demand mirrors the evolving consumer preferences, stimulating growth in both cultural and economic arenas. "We live in a world ruled by fictions of every kind — mass merchandising, advertising, politics conducted as a branch of advertising, the instant translation of science and technology into popular imagery"

Seeing human output through the concept of product helps us break down the barriers that have traditionally separated creative, technical, and economic thought into siloed schools of thought. This enables us to see links between different fields that are typically non-obvious. A fundamental aspect in the creation of product today as competition is higher and viable ideas are harder to find.

The State of Product Today: The Trends

"Software was eating the world. Now Al has eaten software" - Balaji Srinivasan

The current state of affairs underscores an escalating trend of productisation, a trend propelled by several undercurrents of technology, economics and social acceleration.

Compound technological progress. At the heart of this surge is technology. Rapid technological advancements have quickened the pace of product development and consumption across virtually all sectors'7. The advent of the internet, e-commerce, and social media has been pivotal to the ex- pansion of productisation, globalising competition and marketplaces. This incessant influx of information mandates constant innovation and novelty. Thus, individuals and companies are faced with an immense pressure to develop new products and services to stay ahead of the competition and maintain market share?. We will later discuss the future trends of product through the lens of new technology.

Economic optimisation. A vital dimension to this trend is the principle of 'more with less'. As consumers, our proclivity to optimise resources and curtail expenditure drives the creation of products that are affordable, efficient, and convenient. This caters to a consumer base acutely conscious of cost. In parallel, businesses, too, aspire to streamline their operations, employing technology and automation to cut costs and boost productivity39. Individuals as a whole seek to optimise their economics through the garnering of assets - namely backed by capital - usually balancing this with their needs for status and personal fulfilments.

Accelerationism. A trend that sits parallel to the idea of product characterised by the transformative power of technology and the potential for accelerating social, political, and economic changes. The resulting acceleration of culture continues to alter the way humans view and experience time.

Given these undercurrents, the future of product is expected to undergo significant huge transformation. Accelerationism underscores the potential for technology to transform this concept, propelling rapid changes across societal, political, and economic landscapes. In tandem, as technology empowers humans to solve higher-level problems, future products will be designed to address these increasingly complex challenges. The ceiling only gets higher.

The Progression of Product: From Object to Personality

In the present day, the evolution of the product is not merely a matter of individual convenience or corporate profitability. It is also a powerful enabler of collective problem-solving at a higher level. As products evolve from simple physical objects to complex services and digital platforms, they become conduits for collaboration, innovation, and social change. The interconnected, data- rich nature of moder products allows us to share knowledge, pool resources, and coordinate ef- forts like never before. Whether it's using a shared document to collaboratively draft a policy proposal, leveraging Al to predict climate trends, or using blockchain to test the waters of decent- ralised digital economies, the progress of the product is continually opening up new possibilities for tackling the collective challenges we face as a society*3.

Moreover, this progression from object to service to person can be seen as an ascent up the ab- straction ladder, with each stage representing a more nuanced and intangible manifestation of product. As we climb this ladder, the emphasis shifts from mere survival value (i.e.., products that satisty basic needs) to value for survival (i.e., products that contribute to personal growth, social status, and self-actualisation)*.

Simultaneously, societal advancement has incited another transformation in product perception. Services, including healthcare, education, transport, and entertainment, materialised, emphasising consumer demands, convenience, and improved living standards. Over the past half-century, there's been a transition from a focus on tangible products to an economy predominantly pro- pelled by servicest. This shift underscores the escalating significance of intangible assets like data and information in our current digital era.

Technological advancements, such as wireless internet, high-speed data networks, social media, and smartphones, have facilitated the formation of a global, interconnected marketplace. Within this ecosystem, products and services are exchanged across borders seamlessly, underscoring the value of intangible commodities. The move away from the creation of physical products towards infinitely scalable, efficient, personalised services is a testament to this trends.

However, the evolution of productisation does present challenges. Innovative technologies and services are often exclusively available to those who can afford them, potentially widening exist- ing social and economic disparities+7. Individuals and communities with limited resources may remain cut off from essential benefits brought about by advancements in areas like healthcare, education, and communication.

In this superconnected era defined by the digital networks made possible through the internet, the concept of a 'product' is increasingly applied to individuals. Personal branding and self-promotion on social media platforms have become imperative. People are marketing themselves to attract followers, employers, or potential business partners, ushering in the productisation of self in order to stand out and stick in the minds of others. This trend is opening novel avenues for personal and professional growth. Social media platforms have enabled individuals to showcase theirtalents, ideas, and experiences, attracting a global audience and prospective collaborators.

Today's Technologies and Their Role in Productisation

Creativity serves as the heartbeat of culture, shaping and defining societies and communities. This intricate dance of invention and innovation weaves together shared ideas, symbols, and prac- tices, forging a collective identity that differentiates one culture from another. Across the globe, creativity - manifested in art, literature, music, architecture, and more - interprets and commu- nicates unique cultural narratives, thus contributing significantly to societal progression and transformation.

The dawn of the 21st century marks a radical shift, catapulting creativity to its ultimate zenith. The product - the tangible result of our collective creative endeavours - becomes the primary en- abler of this transformation. While historically, the product has been constrained by the limita- tions of human ingenuity, technological advancements increasingly shape products into sophisticated platforms and tools that extend and augment human creativity. They provide us with unpre- edented opportunities to re-imagine and reshape our cultural landscapes, breathing new life into old traditions and forging novel paths of expression and communication.

An example of this trend is the advent of generative Al - which uses large language models (LLMs) to create novel content - from music and visual art to poetry and prose - that emulates and sometimes even surpasses human creativitys. One of the most famous instances is the OpenAl project GPT-4, an Al model that can generate impressively human-like text. This model not only demonstrates the impressive capabilities of Al but also opens up exciting new possibilities for creative expression, enabling humans to collaborate with machines in creating cultural artifacts.

For instance, the impact of Al on white-collar jobs is a topic of active discussion and research. Al's potential to automate tasks traditionally performed by white-collar workers is significant.

While there were predictions a decade ago that almost half of U.S. jobs could be replaced by Al by 2023, these predictions were mainly focused on low-skill jobs. However, the rise of generative Al, has brought around a realisation that today's Al landscape has the greatest impact on white collar workers, especially for creative jobs. A repeat trend of the advent of modem computers2. However, generative Al is not a lone star in the constellation of transformative technologies. Other innovations like blockchain technology also promises significant cultural transformation in its ability to productise financial trust in the form of code. At the point of writing this piece, blockchain tokenised digital assets exist in abundance but have not yet managed to find mainstream application outside of speculative investment bubbles.

Enabled by advances in technology, the boundaries of creativity are blurrier than ever, allowing us to redefine culture and navigate our shared human experience continually. But what does tomorrow hold?

The State of Product Tomorrow: The Productisation of Career

"On January 24th Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984." - Apple Computer Inc

The concept of productisation has profoundly influenced the modern professional landscape, most notably through personal branding. As individuals cultivate their professional personas into marketable brands, their skills, experiences, and personal attributes become key selling points within the job markets.

Social media platforms play an instrumental role in this process, serving as vehicles for self-promotion and networking. From Linkedin to Twitter and Instagram, these platforms enable individuals to showcase their professional prowess and connect with potential employers.

Taking the example of Linkedin, we can understand how they have not only productised the ca- reer, but also the ideas of network. The term "six degrees of separation" is a concept that denotes that any two people on earth are six or fewer social links apart. Using Linkedin, this is a core concept in the network of the platform, but also a patented concept that allows the service to differentiate itself from any other social network.

The advent of freelancing and the gig economy further underscore the trend of career productisation. Despite the appeal of flexibility and autonomy, freelancers must navigate income instability, a lack of benefits, and the continuous quest for new gigss?. With 36% of US workers participating in freelance work in 2023, up from 33.8% the trend is likely to continuess. The trend of productisation can already be seen in the example of car pooling companies like Uber and AirBNB who are ultimately a network product packaged in a marketplace, where they do not own any of the assets advertised on their applications but instead sell trust in a services.

Moreover, the emergence of productised services presents a potential future of work, characterised by flexible, decentralised, and project-based engagements. In contrast to conventional employment, portfolio careers where professionals undertake multiple roles or projects offer flexibility, varied experiences, and resilience to job loss, albeit with potential stress, lack of a clear career path, and financial instability.

Productised services, as exemplified by DesignJoy founded by Brett Williamsf, present a novel business model that is disrupting traditional paradigms of work. DesignJoy is a subscription- based design service specializing in high-quality web design, with a unique approach that stands out among conventional design agencies. Brett operates this successful one-man agency and services 20+ clients each month, with his service priced at $5000 per month. Through being able to 'productise' the role of a typical employee or design agency, Williams' eschews eschews typical design processes such as alignment calls, concepting, meetings, and process. Instead, he dives straight into high-fidelity finished designs, a method he calls assumption- based design" which saves significant time while still yielding high-quality final products. This model allows Williams' to manage over 40 clients at once, without any employees.

Finally, as artificial intelligence (Al) and automation become increasingly integrated into the workforce, careers are set for a significant reshaping. Many jobs risk being replaced or drastically altered, necessitating a reevaluation of required skillsets and approaches to works.

The ongoing process of career productisation presents both exciting opportunities and significant challenges. Balancing personal values and needs with the demands of the evolving job market will be essential as we navigate this new landscape.

The Productisation of Body

The productisation of the body has taken centre stage in today's digital era, driven by advance- ments in technology and a societal shift towards self-optimisation. One key facet of this trend is the rise of wearable technology, with devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers facilitating constant health monitoring and providing personalised feedbackts.

However, these devices not only encourage healthier lifestyles but also contribute to an increas- ingly quantified society where personal data becomes a valuable commodity. Ethical considera- tions surrounding data privacy and misuse are paramount, as companies gain access to umprecedented levels of personal health information®?. And extreme example lies in the story of Bryan Johnson, a tech millionaire who embodies anoth- er aspect of body productisation. Aiming to both monitor the body but also reverse its aging pro- cess. Under an initiative dubbed Project Blueprint, Johnson is investing millions to make his 45- year-old body feel like it's 18 again. He has a team of 30 doctors monitoring his body functions daily, conducting a range of experiments on him as a test subjectes.

Notably, as Johnson is proving, the productisation of the body also brings groundbreaking tech- nologies into the realm of possibility. Brain-neural interfaces, for instance, have the potential to revolutionise the medical field by providing treatments for neurological disorders. This applica- tion alone opens up an Overton Window, a concept that describes the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. By initially targeting treatments for the disabled, brain-neural interfaces can gain societal acceptance and momentum, potentially leading to broader applications and more widespread use.

Meanwhile, brain-neural interfaces and Al personalities represent future horizons in body produc- tisation. These technologies could fundamentally alter human abilities and identities. Brain-neur- al interfaces may provide treatments for neurological disorders or augment human capabilities, offering fascinating yet ethically complex possibilities" Similarly, the advent Al personalities, which recreate entire personalities as consumable goods via smartphones, provides us with a pseudo-escape from death itself, raising questions around authenticity, consent, and potential misuse.

In the same vein, biohacking and specifically genetic engineering present avenues for self-im- provement or modification, though they carry risks of inequality and eugenics. More so, whilst this could revolutionise health and wellness industries, concerns around privacy and consent remain.

Conclusion: The Productisation of Reality

In this piece, we have explored the concept of product, and productsation, with its impact on so- ciety. Past, present and future. We have traced the emergence and rise of product as a driving force in human culture, identified the motivations behind it, and considered its implications on various aspects of life today. The notion of product, as discussed has led to significant improve- ments in objective living standards, driven by technological advancements, commercial optimisation, and the pursuit of efficiency.

We have also acknowledged the potential perils of product, particularly when it comes to the commodification of human experiences, relationships, and even ourselves. The advancement of technology has had benefits, and continues to have benefits, it also raises profound philosophical and ethical questions about the nature of progress, the value of human life, and the direction of society as a whole.

That stated, we should remain optimistic! Not only should the trend of productisation increase objective human progress, but it now offers the possibility of reversing some of the worrying trends of recent times. Providing new realms of nuance, autonomy and experience back into society. By fostering an understanding of product as an inevitable evolution in human progress, we can choose to use it to our advantage and place our own values into the canon of productisation either by participation (as we all do through voting with our time & money) or by creating new forms of product in our own endeayours.

Ultimately this piece is not an opinion, but a statement. Productisation will continue. And so will acceleration. Yet with much left uncertain, Some things are for sure. Change is the constant. The future of product, and by proxy, society, is not a predetermined destiny but a path that we are continuously carving - an outcome of fundamental activities that make us human. Everything is still to play for.