The Tech Industry: 2013 through 2018

In the news business, we love looking forward. But you learn a lot by looking backwards, too. So on the eve of our 5th anniversary next week, our two-dozen reporters and editors huddled in a conference room (and around the virtual Google Hangout) and hashed out the five defining themes of the last five years.

After an hour or so of debating topics like whether Amazon and Facebook have peaked and the lasting impact of crypto, we came up with this list. Here they are, in no particular order. And we’re hosting a conference call Tuesday Dec. 11 to answer your questions about these, our forthcoming predictions and why which themes were left on the cutting room floor.