Here's the next BIG thing. Something that has the potential to be as big as the Internet.
It's one of those ideas that hits you like a ton of bricks once you figure it out.
Given the rise in the entrepreneurial backchatter I'm getting on it, I supect it's going to roll out very quickly.
More quickly than most people think once it gets going, since most of the infrastructure required to put it into motion is already in place.
What is it?
It's an Internet of drones.
A short distance drone delivery service built on an open protocol. Think short haul logistics.
It's a system that will explode in a way that is very similar to the way the Internet grew up — where connections were bought by individuals and installed one modem and IP address at a time, and where the early providers are local geeks with shelves full of modems and an expensive T-1 lines.
It's an approach that uses “uncontrolled airspace” and incremental purchases of cheap, standards compliant pads/drones to roll itself out (very similar to the way the Internet was able to piggy back on the old telephone system).
As a result of this open approach and decentralization, it's something that could grow VERY fast.
Here's a simplified version of what I'm talking about:
