There are three additional forces at work, each with significant abundance-producing potential. The first of those is the newfound power of the do-it-yourself (DIY) innovator. DIYers have already proven themselves capable of launching a computer revolution, and now their reach extends considerably further. In the past decade, DIYers (working either in small teams or collectively, via crowdsourcing) have made major contributions to fields like genetics, robotics, proteomics, autonomous vehicles, even space exploration--fields that were once the sole province of large corporations, universities, and governments.

This graph tracks the life cycle of a new technology--here, the dot-com (or e-commerce) boom, which profited from significant contributions by DIYers. Overestimation of potential, the peak of inflated expectations, and disillusionment ultimately give way to true fulfillment and a plateau.

The same technologies that allowed the rise of the DIY innovator have also created wealth much faster than ever before. People like Jeff Skoll (the former president of eBay), Elon Musk (cofounder of PayPal), and Bill Gates (of Microsoft) became billionaires by reinventing industries before the age of 35. Maintaining their taste for the big and bold, they are now turning their attention and their considerable resources toward global betterment. This new breed of techno-philanthropist is a force for abundance as well.