While I was sleeping Thursday night here in Barcelona, my first long-form piece of commentary, The Rise of the Computational Class, went live on Quartz.com. Inspired by Richard Florida's cross-cutting analysis of the growth of a so-called Creative Class in North America at the end of the 20th century and early 21st, my article takes a different lens on the emergence of a socio-economic class globally built on the power derived from data—collecting, possessing, parsing and monetizing it. With the benefit of cheaper, faster computing, falling storage costs, constantly refined applications of mathematical forumlae and a growing class of data scientists to manage all of it, this segment benefits from an ever-faster ability to make money, grow knowledge and, ultimately, gain power.
Hopefully this essay is the starting point for a deeper exploration and ongoing analysis. Thanks for those who sent comments and RTs so far. I'd love to hear your feedback.