What Is Future Proof?

Future Proof is about to get a whole lot more complicated. It's a term that gets tossed around by people in the tech industry, but it can also be applied to any field. It means "not needing to be updated or replaced because it is compatible with future technology." Here's the thing: only some items are genuinely future-proof. A regular cycle of replacing and updating is the norm in any field that depends heavily on technology. Think about it: How frequently have you heard someone say they will buy an iPhone because they're sure Apple will come out with something better before long? How often have you heard someone say they'll buy an Android phone because they're sure Google will come out with something better before long? Even if these companies make their products as "future-proof" as possible, they can't make them 100% immune from change—even if they've got some magic crystal ball that lets them know what the future holds. Future-proofing is much work. Even if you were to somehow create an infallible system, it would be obsolete when it was completed. Think about it: If you were to build the perfect car, it would only be valid for a few years before newer models came out with better features and designs. If you made a house that could withstand any natural disaster or weapon, it would still need maintenance now and then, which means that eventually, someone will find a way to destroy it. The same goes for software design: there's no way to make something that doesn't need to be updated at some point in its life cycle because new technology will always outpace what was available when it was first created. So you should probably chuckle when you hear someone talking about their company's "future-proof" product or service or when someone asks about your future-proofing plans.