Paul Saffo

Will the Internet eliminate the middleman in commerce by bringing sellers directly into buyers' homes and offices? On the contrary, says futurist Paul Saffo. Part of the Net's power will be in creating many more intermediaries who add value by channeling the right goods to the right people in the right packages, creating new transactions that weren't possible until now.

Saffo, who is director of the Institute for the Future, makes his living by predicting trends. Paul Schindler talked with him about the future of disintermediation and re-intermediation. (Recorded May 5, 1998.)

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Job
Director, Institute for the Future

What He Does
Studies long-term information technology trends and their impact on business and society

Education
Holds degrees from Harvard, Cambridge University, and Stanford University.

Published
Harvard Business Review, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Wired magazine, and Fortune magazine

Recent Accomplishment
Named one of 100 "Global Leaders for Tomorrow" by the World Econcomic Forum

Undergraduate Degree
Anthropology

Professional Confession
He's a licensed attorney