Comment by PaulShin

A fascinating thought exercise. It mirrors a question we obsess over every day at my startup: "In 15 years, what will an 'office' visit look like?"

My bet for the gas station: they become high-density "Service Hubs." The main product won't be selling gas, but selling time and convenience back to the driver. Think ultra-fast EV charging bays, automated Amazon package return kiosks, a great coffee subscription service, and maybe even quick biometric health check pods. They'll be data-driven, hyper-efficient service points.

I believe the traditional office is facing the same existential shift. Its core "product" a desk to sit at from 9 to 5 is becoming as obsolete as the gasoline pump.

The "office" of the future isn't a physical place; it's a system. A Workspace OS where the most important flow isn't people commuting to a building, but information flowing seamlessly from conversation → to idea → to action. It's a space where an AI teammate handles the repetitive work (summarizing meetings, tracking tasks), freeing up humans to do the deep, creative work that truly matters.

So, in 2040, perhaps the best gas stations and the best offices will have one thing in common: you'll barely notice they're there. They'll just be a seamless, intelligent system that helps you get where you need to go whether that's across the country, or from a great idea to a finished product.