World Changing Ideas

Teflon Son? How Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son’s legend keeps growing

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, host Josh Christensen is joined by ‘Fast Company’ associate editor David Salazar to help break down the latest news in the w...

Police departments are embracing AI-enhanced surveillance technology to stop crime

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Police departments across the country are embracing AI-enhanced surveillance technology in the name of stopping crime. One prominent security firm cal...

Why the NFL, Universal Pictures, and erotic audio company Quinn made our Brands That Matter list

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s episode, Yaz and Josh are joined by ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer and ‘Fast Company’ associate editor David Salaza...

Why is fast food so expensive now?

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a growing shift in consumer sentiment about the fast-food industry. As inflation pushes menu prices steadily upward, more people are asking ...

Can Brian Niccol turn Starbucks around?

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week in a major shakeup, Starbucks announced the appointment of Brian Niccol as its new chairman and CEO. Niccol, then CEO of Chipotle, will succ...

Can the Gap make a comeback?

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re taking a look at what some top brands are doing in the sports and entertainment space. This is part of our ongoing monthly series, ...

How 23andMe went from a $6 billion valuation to trading for pennies

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cofounder and CEO of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, wants to take the public company private. Founded in 2006, the DNA-testing startup was valued at $6 billi...

AI is changing tech, but where's the energy coming from?

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Amazon announced it hit a goal of 100% renewable electricity seven years early. But a report from an Amazon employee group argues that this...

It’s too damn hot, tip Grubhub delivery workers more

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Temperatures are hitting all-time highs, with some cities reaching 25 degrees above average. Last week, the Biden Administration announced a proposed ...

Are LinkedIn influencers the worst kind of influencer?

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent viral LinkedIn post, Cap X Media’s CEO Matthew Baltzell poses in a backwards baseball cap and details his experience firing an employee ...

Inside MrBeast's corporate structure

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A nonprofit founded by right-wing billionaire Charles Koch was a "key contributor" to a recent video produced by the popular content creator MrBeast. ...

How Dropout competes in a cutthroat, subscription-streaming market

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last September, CollegeHumor rebranded as Dropout. The 25-year old comedy platform made the move after a surge in subscriptions to the company's strea...

Why tech bro podcasts are obsessed with alpha men

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, an article by ‘Fast Company’ senior writer Ainsley Harris riled up a small but very online part of the tech community. Venture capita...

Perplexity CEO slams Google

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By now, we’re used to talking to AI chatbots, and we’re used to googling something to find an answer. Last week, though, Google launched a new fea...

Why is the WNBA so hot right now?

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The WNBA’s 2024 season comes on the heels of a recent groundswell of interest in women’s basketball. Last year was the WNBA’s most-watched reg...

We're looking at 2024 Summer Trends

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s May! We’re enjoying the spring weather and getting ready for this summer. So, we wanted to chat with some Fast Company folks who have their e...

The unraveling of a unicorn: Why InVision failed

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

InVision was once a prominent player in the design software space. But the company that was once valued at $2 billion announced it will be discontin...

Minimum wage increases for fast food workers and Lyft drivers

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fast food workers in California are seeing an increase in their paychecks. This is because of a recent minimum wage law that went into effect earlier ...

Boeing is having a bad year

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Boeing has been in the news recently . . . Between a door plug blowing off mid-flight and sudden nose dives causing injuries, the company has been in ...

NBC's hiring and firing of Ronna McDaniel

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two weeks ago, the former Republican National Committee boss Ronna McDaniel was hired and then fired as an MSNBC contributor. This came about after pu...

Powering the Future - AI Bootcamp FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge.

The Most Innovative Companies list is out!

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners an...

Fast Company at SXSW and Netflix's 3 Body Problem

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This past weekend, Fast Company hosted a three-day event as part of SXSW in Austin. Yaz moderated a bunch of panels, Josh was producing podcasts, and ...

Supply Ch(AI)n Strategy Session - AI Bootcamp FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers.

Oscar Campaigns & TheRealReal

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is an Oscar campaign? How do studios run them? When does Oscar campaigning start? We spoke with Allie Carieri to learn all about the work (and th...

Time for Growth - AI Bootcamp FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board.

Inside the chaos at the Bored Ape Yacht Club

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022, The Bored Ape Yacht Club was kind of inescapable on some parts of the internet. People—including a range of celebrities from Gwyneth Paltro...

What do the Apple Vision Pro, Humane AI, and the AI Tab necklace say about the future of AI hardware?

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

January was a big month for AI hardware, and we wanted to go over some of the biggest devices and tech out there. ‘Fast Company’ global design edi...

Why people are ditching Tinder . . . and falling in love with lab-grown diamonds

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re about to hit the end of peak dating season with Valentine’s Day this week and what better way to commemorate that than to chat about the sta...

Super Bowl ads and Stanley cups

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Super Bowl is set to kick off this Sunday, and we’re taking a look at some of the ads that are already out there. ‘Fast Company’ senior staf...

WWE, Netflix—and the baby-faced rival who wants to body slam them

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Yaz wrote a story about an upstart wrestling league called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its founder and CEO Tony Khan. ‘Fast Company’ deputy edit...

Daily Harvest rolls out Ozempic-designed meals

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Daily Harvest is introducing a new collection of meals tailor-made for people on weight-loss medications like Ozempic. Daily Harvest president Ricky S...

Big Tech might not be able to use Section 230 for protection anymore

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company’ contributing wri...

Ozempic and Wegovy: How 2 diabetes medications became the most popular weight-loss drugs

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the United States, nearly three-quarters of adults qualify as overweight or obese, 42% of whom are considered obese. The World Obesity Federation p...

Fast-fashion giant Shein is thinking of going public

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shein is a giant fast fashion retailer that's looking into filing an IPO. Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran helps break down what that migh...

The Moral Valence Of Technology: Josh Wolfe From Lux Capital On Trust, Human Nature And The ‘magical Realism’ Of Science

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Vincent talks with Josh Wolfe, co-founder and managing partner of Lux Capital, about the need for technology to come from companies we trust and...

Sam Altman is still CEO of Open AI

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The long-simmering fault lines within OpenAI over questions of safety with regard to the deployment of large language models like GPT, the engine be...

Creating a 'Third Space' for togetherness: Jason Citron from Discord on AI, safety and the importance of play

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Vincent talks with Jason Citron from Discord about safety, togetherness, and how we can use good AI to battle bad AI.

The SAG-AFTRA strike is over!

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike finally came to a close. Fast Company deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel breaks down what happened this pa...

If you can’t fight technology, you should lead it: Hovhannes Avoyan from Picsart

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Vincent talks with Hovhannes Avoyan, founder and president of Picsart, about leaning into AI and how the future will favor problem solving

Elon Musk’s X is no Twitter: Is there still any magic left?

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A year ago, Elon Musk bought Twitter for a whopping $44 billion. Since then the platform has changed dramatically . . . even its name. Senior staff ed...

Nature is an asset class in modern business: Rachel Delacour of Sweep

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Vincent talks with Rachel Delacour, co-founder and CEO of Sweep, about how to make your company resilient, how constraints breed creativity, and...

FROM FASTCO WORKS AND CAPITAL ONE: Empathy and Innovation: Keeping the Customer at the Center

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Companies now have mountains of data to help drive decisions and develop products, but a holistic approach to product development must also prioritize...

‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ director Emma Tammi talks about horror innovation

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween season is here! And actor-director-producer Emma Tammi joined us to chat about her upcoming film, Five Nights at Freddy’s, based on the p...

FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP - Growth Agents: How Pink Lily went from a side hustle to a multimillion-dollar company

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The company’s director of finance explains how her job goes well beyond accounting. Tina Hetzer, director of finance at Pink Lily, is one of the ris...

How AI Can Tackle Cancer: Thomas Clozel of Owkin on Collective Intelligence and the Da Vinci Model for Innovation

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Vincent talks with Thomas Clozel, co-founder and CEO of Owkin, about innovative approaches to AI, the need to help develop "collective intellige...

How Issa Rae secured success: Create what you’re passionate about

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Actor, producer, and entrepreneur Issa Rae has several businesses under her belt already, and now she has partnered with Gallo to launch her own prose...

The Challenge of Scaling Nature: Tyler Huggins of Meati

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Vincent talks with Tyler Huggins, CEO and co-founder of Meati, about sustainability, how to introduce the new with the familiar, and how startup...

FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP - Growth Agents: Duolingo’s CFO on how the company took over the language learning space

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Duolingo’s freemium subscription model, beloved brand and strategic investments have allowed it to execute its educational mission and become a cult...

Understanding the girlboss era, the sexist backlash, and what's next

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs, even though women make up 47% of the workforce. And female founders only get 2% of venture capital...

FROM FASTCO WORKS AND SAP - Growth Agents: The inside story of Sweetgreen’s rapid rise to the top

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mitch Reback, CFO of Sweetgreen, is one of the rising corporate financial stars who is helping to take their companies to the next level. When he star...

Designing AI with Intention: Brian Chesky's Call to Arms for Creative People

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Vincent talks to Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, at Fast Company's Innovation Festival this past September in New York City. They di...

Why nostalgia is such a powerful force for brand marketing

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do Chanel, Heinz 57, and Coors Light all have in common? They’re all brands that have built a connection with their consumers. On today’s epi...

For Lego, net zero goals are anything but child’s play

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lego has been pushing its ambitious sustainability efforts for years . . . only to recently do an about-face (sort of) by telling us that it will cont...

World Changing Ideas series roundup!

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who is the ‘most fairly paid’ CEO in America—and what does that even mean?

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,11...

How ChatGPT is launching tech’s next big wave

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

OpenAI is reportedly nearing $1 billion in annual sales. There’s an AI arms race among big tech companies. AI is everywhere and on everyone’s mind...

YouTube’s $14 billion bet on NFL Sunday Ticket

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

YouTube paid $14 billion for the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket. For the next seven years, NFL viewers will be able to watch live football games from...

So, thanks to Bidenomics, we’re not in a recession?

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Late last year, everyone thought we were headed for a recession. But now we’re doing great. What’s going on? James Surowiecki, author of The Wisd...

SKIMS’ CEO on how Kim Kardashian is like Michael Jordan—and Starbucks

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Women’s World Cup is coming to an end this weekend! The international soccer championship is down to its final week in which Spain and England w...

Future executives don't want to go back to the office, and why we still don't know how to manage our finances

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s looking like the future won’t be spent in the office. Based on a recent Deloitte study, 66% of mid- to executive-level financial services pro...

What is Spill and could it (finally) kill Twitter?

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The new visual platform, Spill, is not trying to become the next Twitter—it’s aiming to create an entirely new social media platform. Spill’s co...

AI and Ozempic: The two great disruptive technologies of 2023

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AI is poised to upend the music industry, and Fast Company Associate Editor David Salazar joins us to discuss what AI generative music is and how the ...

Barbie's global domination: Exactly how Mattel pulled it off

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The thing about the Barbie movie is that saying those three words together just seems inherently ridiculous. And one of the best things Mattel has don...

Will Threads disrupt the digital public square?

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter? Fast Company Sen...

Hacking into the wellness industry with Fast Company's 'Future Me' Docuseries

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you have a chronic illness or debilitating condition, you start turning to alternatives for answers. This is what one of our colleagues did. Fast...

Are we all going to start using the new Apple Vision Pro headset?

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode, Yaz chats with Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan about what's happening with Apple these days. And we learn about the lates...

What are long-shot presidential candidates talking about on podcasts?

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The presidential race is already heating up, and aside from the usual fanfare around frontrunners like Trump and Biden, there are long-shot candidates...

Presenting: The new season of 'Most Innovative Companies'

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is AI coming for our jobs?? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg explains that it is . . . but that it’s not all bad news. And Yaz chat...

Flashback: Beyond Meat is aiming for perfection

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 2021, Talib sat down with Beyond Meat Founder and CEO Ethan Brown to discuss the company's newest burger and how plant-based meat compares to ...

FROM PFIZER AND FASTCO WORKS: The future of marketing medicine

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bringing trusted science into consumer hands has never been more important. Establishing credibility, sending the right message, and offering relevant...

Flashback: Rescuing food, feeding the hungry and saving the environment

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Talib chatted with 412 Food Rescue Founder Leah Lizarondo about addressing climate change and preventing hunger.

Flashback: The pregnancy test that won't cause more pollution

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Throwback to when we chatted with LIA co-founders Bethany Edwards and Anna Couturier. Lia is the first biodegradable, flushable, and zero-waste pregna...

Flashback: How a pair of shoes can help drop the carbon footprint

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's rewind to when Talib Visram chatted with Cariuma Co-founders Fernando Porto and David Python about their mission to make the footwear industry m...

Flashback: How we can prevent food waste and change our food system for the better

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A look back on a conversation between Talib Visram and Full Harvest Founder and CEO Christine Moseley about her passion for the environment, affordabl...

Flashback: How the trucking industry can reduce its carbon footprint

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're looking back on our conversation with Convoy's Head of Sustainability Jennifer Wong about the company's efficiency methods and decarbonizing the...

Flashback: Building 3D homes on the moon

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rewind to our chat with Jason Ballard, CEO and co-founder of ICON, a digital construction company that 3D-prints houses... that might end up on the mo...

Flashback: Rethinking our democracy from elections to lotteries

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rewind to Season 1 when we chatted with ofbyfor about an alternative way to structure democracy from elections to lotteries.

Let's stop fighting the water and learn how to live with it

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve looked at a whole bunch of amazing ideas this season. We’ve met people tackling global problems, including rising temperatures, water shorta...

The future of the brain is here with a brain-computer-interface implant

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're taking a look at the brain and a world-changing idea that could overhaul how we approach brain surgery. A company called Synchron is ...

How biohacking can build a more inclusive future and help gain agency over our bodies

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We spend our whole lives living in human bodies, but even in 2023, there is so much that science doesn’t understand about how our body works, how it...

Collecting water from fog clouds - is it sci fi or a real solution?

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Protecting our most important resources is becoming a global problem that affects all of us. The impact of climate change and the demands of urban liv...

Decarbonization startups are in! Meet three of our favorites

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite a dip in carbon emissions during the pandemic, the U.S is still the world’s second largest polluter. The country produced 5.6 bn metric tons...

Can the Metaverse ever compete with social media?

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are lots of different definitions of what the Metaverse is or could be. At the moment, the whole thing is looking quite fragmented. You get all ...

How will 3 billion people playing video games change the world?

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 In 2022, roughly 3 billion people, or one in every three people in the world, regularly played computer games, either on their phone, computer, or s...

Best of WCI: Toilets, poop, and water conservation

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have a recap of one of our favorite episodes from last year and what better way to kick off 2023 than talking about toilets? Enjoy!

The Fast Company podcast team looks back on 2022

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Amelia Hemphill, KC Ifeanyi, and Kate Davis discuss the biggest stories at Fast Company this past year and share their favorite moments from Fast C...

Telling stories could be the ultimate climate change solution—meet the activists changing the narrative

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Addressing the problems around climate change requires collective action and big ideas. But we also need to learn how to listen and how to change our ...

Poop Jacuzzis, guard dogs and worm bins - how to produce food with no pesticides

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Farming is one of our most ancient practices. We can’t support human life on this planet without the food we grow from the soil. But the soil itself...

Car-free cities and flying boats: futuristic or present-day solutions?

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Reducing emissions was a hot topic at COP27, and a lot of the emissions burden is going to fall on cities and local governments. So what kind of world...

THE NEW WAY WE WORK: How to plan for the future in an uncertain world - long term career thinking in times of crisis

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Davis talks with Dorie Clark about how to future proof your career (as much as possible). Dorie has been a guest on the show before, she’s also...

Completely animal-free meat, eggs, and ice cream!

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow and what better way to spend it than examining how our food is produced? While we can’t live without food, we also can’...

How can data help capture carbon and fight climate change?

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we're taking a look at how one company and a nonprofit are working together to capture carbon. Their partnership also addresses the q...

A solar farm in the sky, solar power stored in soil and solar-powered cities!

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From Queens, New York over to West Africa down to Southwest Florida and up to Europe, we're jumping from soil to sky in our exploration of how solar e...

Is Beyond Meat steaking too much on plant-based meat?

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve talked a lot about sustainable and plant-based foods before—and on today’s show, you may get a little deja-vu. You’ll remember last year...

Dealing with our poop: how do we turn human waste into “Midnight Gold”?

26 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Most societies have a complex relationship with human poop. It brings up all kinds of emotions: disgust, fascination, shame, happiness, relief, and ev...

FROM AWS AND FAST CO WORKS: At the Edge of Innovation: A Conversation with AWS’s Jan Hofmeyr

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this special podcast episode, hear the latest on what’s taking place in edge computing and hybrid cloud from a top industry executive at AWS. Als...

WCI Pitch Fest - What can we do to cool down?

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change isn’t going away, so we have to find ways to adapt. Last week, we took a look at some of the ways that cities, businesses and NGOs ar...

How are we going to deal with extreme heat?

12 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back for Season 2! Here we are in October 2022. The seasons are changing. We’re all getting used to a new kind of normal. For those of us i...

We're back with a brand new season!

05 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This season we’ll be traveling around the globe to find the best, the boldest and the strangest ideas that could transform life as we know it. From...