Can I have The Upgrade, please?

No matter what we're doing or where we are, everyone wants the upgrade.

Boarding that next flight, hopping in the rental car, scoping out the swanky hotel room, finding the best cell phone plan, crafting a new-age lifestyle diet and fitness plan, and the latest and greatest features delivered on demand to our tech device of choice.

In the past, upgrades were scarce and limited. All of that is now considered standard to the average consumer. We demand more, better, smarter, faster and we want it right now. Preferably five minutes ago. And that's not because we're spoiled or entitled, but because innovation has been able to deliver progress we can rely on.

For that to happen, it means we need innovators actively competing for our dollars, our time, and our attention. When innovators compete for consumers, yesterday's luxury become's tomorrow standard. The Upgrade becomes The Norm.

The old way of doing things no longer meets our needs because our standard of living is higher, our productivity has increased, and we know that innovation has improved everything around us. And we should all be able to make the choices possible to take part in that.

But this progress is not guaranteed.

Newer ideas must be tested and debated while products and services compete. Consumers must be free to decide what improves their lives, and their choices will be the ultimate signal for innovators to follow. But too often, outdated rules and institutions protect the legacy way of doing things from the new. Policies written for yesterday's technology becomes a limiting factor in tomorrow's choices before consumers can even get their hands on them.

That's where we launch The Upgrade.

On this site, we'll aim to explore consumer innovation, emerging technology, competition, and smart policies to empower consumers and give them more opportunities. This will touch on artificial intelligence, mobility, energy, food, health, privacy, digital services, and every other force shaping modern life.

Where is innovation creating abundance and where rules and old institutions are holding them back from their true potential. How we can actually address risks that consumers should care about and balance them with autonomy in our decision-making.

Better choices require better ideas. And the status quo should never be immune from an Upgrade.

If that sounds like a conversation worth having, then follow along and get our latest posts in your inbox. Be sure to subscribe.

The Upgrade is published by the Consumer Choice Center, an independent consumer advocacy organization championing freedom, innovation, and abundance in everyday life.