Engineers Need to Prepare for a World That Doesn't Need More Stuff

#ai

Hey it's Buono. I recently read a book that put words to something I've been feeling for a long time. And I think every engineer needs to hear this.

The book is "The Future of Business" by Shu Yamaguchi. I'd been hearing him use the term "plateau society" on podcasts and radio for a while. Something about it just stuck with me — like it was describing the world I already sensed was coming.

So I finally read it.

What Is the Plateau Society?

In short: a society where growth is over. Not slowing down — over. The baseline assumption is no longer "things will keep getting better" but "things are already good enough."

Yamaguchi's argument is that humanity spent centuries developing civilization — building systems to keep us alive, safe, and comfortable. And we basically succeeded. The data shows it. We're there.

So what comes next? Not more civilization. Culture.

In a plateau society, people have their basic needs met (think universal basic income). And from that foundation, they pursue creative work driven by personal meaning and impulse — not productivity or efficiency.

There's way more to the book than that, but that's the core idea.

Why This Hit Me So Hard

Honestly? Because this book put into words every frustration I've had about the modern economy.

We keep building things nobody asked for. We keep optimizing things that are already fine. We keep treating growth as the default setting when the reality is — we have enough.

A lot of people will read this and think "that's just idealism." But look at the problems modern society is actually facing. Look at how exhausted everyone is. Look at what's happening to the environment.

This isn't idealism. It might be the only viable direction. And if we dismiss it as a fantasy, I think we're in serious trouble — especially in Japan.

The Problem for Engineers

Here's the catch. The plateau society only works for people who've found something meaningful to pursue. If you have that, it's paradise. Unlimited time and stability to do what you care about.

If you don't have that? It's hell.

I'm not guessing here. I lived it.

During my year of paternity leave, I had financial stability, free time, zero obligations. And I nearly lost my mind. Having nothing to work toward while everything is technically "fine" is one of the worst feelings I've ever experienced. A year of that and your brain starts to break.

Now think about engineers specifically. Most of us were trained for one thing: build useful stuff. That was the entire identity. The entire purpose.

Take that away and what's left? For a lot of engineers — nothing. And I mean that in the most literal sense possible.

If the plateau society arrives and most engineers haven't found something beyond "being useful," it's going to be a crisis. A real one.

The Answer Is "Impulse"

So what do you do? Unfortunately there's no plug-and-play solution. I can't tell you "just do X and you'll be fine."

But there IS a method for finding your thing. And the keyword is impulse.

This concept keeps showing up in everything I read lately — across completely different books, different contexts, different authors. It has to be hitting on something real.

Impulse means: stop overthinking. Follow what pulls you. Try things without knowing why. Move before you have a reason.

I know "impulse" has a bad reputation — like impulse buying. Forget that association. What I'm talking about is something much deeper.

Think about how kids behave. Nobody tells them what to do. They don't understand why they're doing it. They just move toward whatever grabs their attention. It's irrational, unexplainable, and completely honest.

That's the energy we need to rediscover.

Let Go of "Useful"

The idea that engineering must produce something useful? Time to let that go.

Try something. If it doesn't stick, try the next thing. That's it. That's the whole strategy.

I'm still figuring this out myself. But I'm trying to be as honest as possible with what actually excites me, even when it doesn't make logical sense.

That's all any of us can do right now.

Catch you later ✌️