If you were on YouTube in the Golden Age of BuzzFeed videos, there?s a good chance you remember the Try Guys, a group of four friends, who hosted a hugely popular series about trying new experiences. Like many BuzzFeed creators, the four eventually left to start their own production company, 2nd Try. But a couple years ago, the ?guys? were thrust into the spotlight when one of them was caught having an affair with an employee and left the company. We got to talk with two of the original guys, Zach Kornfeld and Keith Habersberger, about navigating the upheaval and their strategy around YouTube and 2nd Try?s new streaming platform. Also, Stephanie Smellie, head of business development at Patreon, talks about how the platform supports podcasters and other creators in building a unique relationship with their audiences.

This week, we?re recording the show at Fast Company?s Innovation Festival using a modular soundproof booth from ROOM. ?Fast Company? senior staff editor Jeff Beer, who covers advertising and branding, returns to talk about the latest ads and over-the-top videos from brands including Pepsi, the NFL, and Progressive?and the nearly-11-minute-long promo video, ?ManningCast: The Musical.? Also, how are brands responding to the backlash against DEI, and who?s going against the trends? Plus, Robinhood cofounder and CEO Vlad Tenev shares about his company?s growth since the GameStop chaos of 2021, the regulation he?d like to see for cryptocurrency, and how he thinks about AI as a new language tool.

The Fast Company Innovation Festival begins next week for the 10th year, and to celebrate the anniversary, we?re highlighting 10 of the most innovative people in various industries and sectors. ?Fast Company? editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan chats about how the list was chosen, and what?s remarkable about each person. And Glossier CEO Kyle Leahy shares about how the brand with such a strong cultural link to millennial fashion works to reach all generations of makeup fans. Tickets are still available for the Innovation Festival! Please join us for four days of inspired conversation, purposeful networking, and meaningful takeaways.

Last week, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris. French authorities detained and charged him in connection to an investigation related to a dozen different charges, including money laundering and child abuse. Telegram has become notorious for its laissez-faire approach to moderation and celebrated by right wing groups as an anti-government, anti-liberal home for channels and messaging. The platform is used by everyone from French and Russian government officials to the Ukrainian military. ?Fast Company? contributing editor Alex Pasternack chats about Pavel Durov?s background and what the case means for social media moderation in the U.S. and internationally. Also, Damian Bradfield, cofounder and chief creative officer of WeTransfer, discusses how his file-sharing company used advertising and a unique approach to creative tools to morph into a digital arts platform.

In this custom episode from FastCo Works and Williams, Kathleen Koch chats with Williams executive VP of corporate strategic development Chad Zamarin. They break down the rapid growth of energy demand due to the rise of data centers and AI and the need for clean tech?and what the U.S. needs to do to keep pace.

Will Packer is a film, television, and podcast producer who has worked in Hollywood for more than 20 years, making movies like ?Ride Along,? ?The Wedding Ringer,? and ?Girls Trip.? He also has a book on the way next year, ?Who Better Than You?: The Art of Healthy Arrogance & Dreaming Big,? about the stories and lessons he?s learned in the entertainment industry. Will?s latest show, ?Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,? premieres September 5 on Peacock, and tells the story of Muhammad Ali?s famous fight in Atlanta and the massive theft that followed. He chatted about his experiences as a producer, where he finds story inspiration, and one of his biggest accomplishments: convincing Beyoncé to change her mind. Also, Anu Duggal, founding partner of Female Founders Fund, talks about how things have changed, or not, for female entrepreneurs in the startup ecosystem. After 10 years in seed-funding for companies, she sees optimism in climate tech, but AI? . . . Not so much.

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 succeed Starbucks?s Laxman Narasimhan, who is stepping down immediately from the position he?s held for only 17 months. For a company that has aggressively claimed it does not make fast food, this could signal a shift in how Starbucks views itself . . . and how it attempts to regain the 20% in market cap that it?s lost. ?Fast Company? contributing writer Clint Rainey discusses the coffee chain?s past mission and values, and how different leadership has shifted the brand?s focus. Also, we talk with rapper Saweetie about her successful brand partnerships with Postmates and McDonald?s, and her perspective on growing her own brand and image. And Candace Bushnell, author of ?Sex and the City? (the book!), chats about looking back on her writing and TV career and what stories she wants women to see today.

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, Brands that Matter, with ?Fast Company? senior staff editor Jeff Beer who covers advertising and branding. Then, we chatted with ?Fast Company? contributing writer Nicole LaPorte about the Gap new CEO. Back in the ?80s and ?90s, Gap was synonymous with denim and khakis. But the rise of fast-fashion brands such as Zara and H&M, shift from shopping in malls to shopping online, and the pandemic?s ?house clothes? trend, all hit the Gap hard. Then, former Mattel president and COO Richard Dickson came in to take over. And if you?re wondering why a successful toy company executive would want to move to a flailing clothing company . . . we got you.

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 billion in 2021. Now, it?s trading for less than a dollar. So what happened? ?Fast Company? senior writer Ainsley Harris breaks down 23andMe?s history, and why the company faces an uncertain future. Also, actor Edward Norton chats with ?Fast Company? staff writer David Salazar about his startup, Zeck. After decades of serving on nonprofit and corporate boards, as well as working with boards as a founder, Norton realized that modern, streamlined tools could vastly improve boardroom communication. His company aims to change the dynamics of boards and company management by reducing repetitive tasks and facilitating better collaboration. And heads up, our show will be shifting to publish on Thursdays starting August 22!

A Gallup poll published last July found that just 36% of Americans had ?a great deal? or ?quite a lot? of confidence in higher education. That?s a 10% drop from 2018, and more than a 20% drop from 2015. Enter the University of Austin, which claims to be a new type of higher education institution that offers students ?the fearless pursuit of truth.? The privately funded nonprofit has reportedly received $200 million in private donations, much of it from prominent right-wing investors. ?Fast Company? senior staff editor Max Ufberg discusses the university?s background and what school will be like for the first class of freshmen. Also, L-Acoustics CEO Laurent Vaissié shares his excitement for the possibilities of sound design for live concerts and shows. His company?s approach to audio is creating immersive experiences and new layers of storytelling, from Broadway theaters to Vegas shows.

With President Biden out of the presidential race and support gathering behind Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee, Silicon Valley?s influence on the candidates is more obvious than ever.Back when Harris ran for California District Attorney, she received donations from tech investors and venture capitalists including Sheryl Sandberg and Reid Hoffman, both of whom have already endorsed her for president. On the Republican side, JD Vance worked for prominent VCs and even started his own, with money from Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Eric Schmidt. So it?s not surprising that the past couple weeks have brought a flurry of endorsements and massive donations from the biggest names in tech. ?Fast Company? contributing writer Issie Lapowsky joins the show to break down what?s influencing tech billionaires in their endorsements, and what that reveals about the industry?s political interests. Also, world-renowned chef René Redzepi, the creative force behind Noma, the three-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen, discusses his new role as host of Apple TV+?s docuseries, ?Omnivore.? He also digs into the joys and pains of foraging and his plans to rework his restaurant business after Noma closes at the end of this year.

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 claim is misleading. They say that only a fifth of the company?s data centers in the U.S actually run on clean power. Meanwhile, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and a host of other companies continue their development of AI?yet another huge energy demand. A recent report by Goldman Sachs says utility companies will need to spend nearly 40% more in the next three years to keep up with the demand from cloud service providers. For example, training an AI model like OpenAI?s GPT-3 required just under 1,300 megawatt hours, which is the amount of power used by 130 U.S. homes in a year. ?Fast Company? deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel discusses how to interpret Amazon?s claims about renewable power, and how much energy we?ll need to power even more data processing. Also, Jeff Beer, ?Fast Company? senior staff editor covering advertising and branding, breaks down some of the recent campaigns and marketing from Etsy and Taco Bell, and what to expect from ads during the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Temperatures are hitting all-time highs, with some cities reaching 25 degrees above average. Last week, the Biden Administration announced a proposed rule that would create heat protections for certain workers, including delivery drivers. But with companies like Grubhub and UberEats classifying delivery workers as ?independent contractors,? what does that mean for some of the people most vulnerable to extreme heat? ?Fast Company? staff writer Jess Bursztynksy gives us the latest on the state of delivery workers? rights in NYC and beyond. And Dr. Sophia Yen, founder of Pandia Health, talks about changing how people get essential healthcare, using algorithms in telemedicine, and how our political climate impacts women?s healthcare businesses.

Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF has a long history of expertly harnessing pop culture humor to poke fun at big corporations. Their latest project is a game built on top of Venmo, where players buy in for $10 and participate in hourly votes to eliminate each other, and a daily vote to pick a winner. The first player chosen to win by 100% of the votes will win a prize pot of over $119,000. Fast Company Global Design Editor Mark Wilson breaks down MSCHF's history and how they combine artistic commentary with capitalism. And Pinterest Chief Product Officer Sabrina Ellis discusses AI's possible uses on a platform with such a vast library of images. How can Pinterest continue to be a source of inspiration for users, an avenue for shopping, and expand the diversity of its content? And what insights can AI provide into the things that catch our eye?

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 for the first time. He talks about the process, what he learned, and asks for feedback from readers. One commenter wrote, ?This LinkedIn post is a disgrace,? while another said, ?You brought pain into someone?s life and then turned it into a ?gold star for me? moment. They?re certainly appalled by this on other (less weird) social platforms.?But plenty of comments sympathized with Baltzell over the uncomfortable situation, even praising him for sharing it. In fact, deranged behavior like this is a daily occurrence on LinkedIn, where business influencers operate very differently from influencers on other social media platforms. ?Fast Company? contributing writer Joe Berkowitz discusses his own forays into LinkedIn?s world of ?corporate positivity.? And Andrew Lacey, founder and CEO of medical technology company Prenuvo, talks about how the full-body MRI scanning that his company is offering might change our perspective on preventative healthcare?if the high cost can be lowered by other systemic reforms in healthcare.

Back in April, President Biden signed a law that would ban TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells the social media app. The company was given about nine months to a year to find an American buyer. So, today we?re going to dive into the race to buy the social media app . . . specifically looking at one billionaire who?s spearheading a bid: former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg sat down with McCourt a few weeks ago to discuss his interest in buying TikTok. And then we chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer about his trip to Cannes and which brand he thinks will win the Titanium award. Also, check out Yaz's interview on the "Rapid Response" podcast: https://www.fastcompany.com/91142303/have-we-hit-peak-apple

A nonprofit founded by right-wing billionaire Charles Koch was a "key contributor" to a recent video produced by the popular content creator MrBeast. The video, titled "We Schooled Hundreds of Teachers," was uploaded on April 30th to "Beast Philanthropy," a second channel MrBeast uses to showcase charity work. MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, lists the organization Stand Together as one of the main financial sponsors. Stand Together was founded by Koch in 2003 as The Seminar Network and it describes itself as a "philanthropic community" dedicated to tackling the "country?s biggest problems," which range from education initiatives to what it calls "freedom-minded solutions." But we wanted to focus on how MrBeast?s corporate structure operates, so Fast Company contributing writer Ryan Broderick joined us to chat about it. Then, Fast Company associate editor David Salazar had a conversation with Vault founder David Greenstein and musician James Blake, who was the first artist on Vault and has been vocal about its potential as a new way for fans to engage with their favorite artists. They chatted about experimenting with new ways to monetize music.

Last September, CollegeHumor rebranded as Dropout. The 25-year old comedy platform made the move after a surge in subscriptions to the company's streaming platform, Dropout TV. After decades of struggling to find profitability, this became the centerpiece of its business model. ?Truthfully, as a high school dropout, I never really connected with the brand name CollegeHumor,? said Dropout CEO Sam Reich. "We promised ourselves we would only do away with the name when we felt that Dropout was popular enough to eclipse it, and we feel that time is now.? Since purchasing the company for a whopping $0 in 2020, Reich has prioritized producing long-form improv content, keeping costs low and driving brand awareness through vertical videos on social media networks like TikTok. Dropout currently has 11 active series including its two most popular properties Game Changer and Dimension 20, a series where comedians actually play a live game of Dungeons & Dragons. By the end of this year, they are set to have 15 series including a live comedy special series called Dropout Presents that will launch this summer with a stand-up special from YouTuber Hank Green. The company has also ventured into live event programming for Dimension 20 in partnership with Live Nation, starting with a four-show tour of the U.K. this spring and, most impressively, leading up to a show at Madison Square Garden in January of 2025.

Last week, an article by ?Fast Company? senior writer Ainsley Harris riled up a small but very online part of the tech community. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, Elon Musk, Anduril Industries founder Palmer Lucky, Y combinator CEO Garry Tan, and even MrBeast, along with many others, were all reacting to her article, ?Tech bro podcasts are obsessed with alpha men, and it?s dangerous for the rest of us.? We talked to Ainsley and had her explain why so many ?techno-optimists? fell in love with the Great Man Theory, and how that?s problematic. Then, we spoke to Gamefam founder and CEO Joe Ferencz about the rise of Roblox and Fortnite as brand-engagement platforms and how they use these sandbox games to not only create new virtual worlds, but also to advertise different IPs.

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 feature that combines the two called AI Overviews. The feature?which many users are already trying to turn off?is designed to reduce the number of searches users have to make. But the idea of combining a chatbot, search tool, and encyclopedia has actually been championed and refined by a two-year-old startup called Perplexity. The ambitious startup, which calls itself an Answer Engine, has been funded by the likes of Jeff Bezos and Nvidia. The stakes are high: If Perplexity can pull off its mission, the company could become?according to some?a Google killer. Perplexity?s CEO Aravind Srinivas spoke at our Most Innovative Companies Summit last week, and had some choice words about Google?s new features and the future of his own company. We spoke to executive editor Amy Farley to unpack what he said. Then, we chatted with ?Fast Company? senior staff editor Jeff Beer about brand apology ads and E.l.f beauty?s recent study on how there are too many dicks across U.S corporate boards.

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 regular season in over two decades and the recently wrapped NCAA tournament has brought a new generation of fans to the sport. The women?s March Madness final averaged 18.7 million viewers, while the men?s final averaged just 14.82 million viewers. Basically, the WNBA is a hot commodity and brands are noticing. Fast Company Staff Editor AJ Hess joined us to explain how this happened and why the stakes for the WNBA are so high this season. Then, in a bit of a role reversal, Josh played the interviewer and asked Yaz about her latest reporting on Oprah. It covered Weight Watchers, diet culture, and our favorite topic on this show, GLP-1s. The impetus for Yaz's article was a Weight Watchers event last week in New York where Oprah was speaking. Yaz explained what happened and what it means for the future of the company.

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 ears to the ground on what?s going to be a hit this summer. Fast Company Associate Editor David Salazar and Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran joined us to share their ideas?and a big shout-out to our interns, Ellie Stevens and Leila Frankina, for their help. Then, we sat down with Airbnb's Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson where we chatted about the so-called "Airbnb Effect" happening in certain communities around the country, the company's efforts to advocate for renters, and the its latest Icons offerings.

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 discontinuing its design-collaboration services by the end of this year. The cofounders, Clark Valberg and Ben Nadel, originally designed the software as a prototyping tool for designers but it quickly gained popularity and ultimately achieved unicorn status after raising $100 million in 2017. This was followed by another milestone when it raised $115 million, which effectively doubled its valuation. So, what happened? How did this unicorn unravel? ?Fast Company? contributing writer Nicole Gull McElroy joined us to explain and discuss. Then we chatted with legendary English fashion designer Paul Smith who has been working in the industry for more than 50 years. Aside from the clothes, he?s also heavily involved in designing the look of his stores around the world. His iconic store on L.A?.s Melrose Avenue has a bright pink wall that?s been around since the early 2000s. But since the 2010s, that wall has become an Instagram hot spot with people lining up to take photos against the hot pink backdrop. Smith explained to us how the wall?which costs about $66,000 a year to maintain?has changed brand awareness, and spoke about his long career as designer-of-choice for such stars as Daniel Day-Lewis, David Bowie, and Jony Ive.

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 this month. The law requires fast food chains like McDonald?s and Starbucks to pay workers $20 per hour. It will also affect restaurants that have at least 60 other locations nationwide. Opponents of the law say it will lead to layoffs and store closures . . . but for fast food workers who have been fighting for better pay, this could mean being able to get a decent living wage. Fast Company Staff Writer Pavithra Mohan joined us to unpack it all. For more on this, check out Pavithra's reporting. Then we chatted with Lyft CEO David Risher about taking over the company after cofounders Logan Green and John Zimmer left a year ago, having to lay off more than a quarter of the company?s workforce last April, and focusing on his key strategy: ?customer obsession drives profitable growth.? We also discussed the company?s future in Minneapolis, whether self-driving cars will transform the industry, and what Risher learned heading up U.S. retail at Amazon under Jeff Bezos.

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 very hot water. ?Fast Company? contributing writer Clint Rainey joined us to explain what?s really going on at Boeing and how it plans to address safety and quality concerns. For more on our Boeing coverage. Then, we spoke with Ghia founder and CEO Melanie Masarin and Nowadays cofounder and CEO Justin Tidwell to understand what?s behind all the demand for non-alcoholic drinks. Companies like Athletic Brewing are experiencing enormous growth as consumers are embracing Sober October and Dry January and curbing their drinking in general. It?s perhaps not going all that well for all brands. After we recorded this interview on April 9th, Boisson, the largest nonalcoholic retailer in New York, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all eight of its brick-and-mortar stores. Still, the nonalcoholic market is forecasted to grow exponentially within the next decade, especially as major breweries such as Anheuser-Busch and Heineken expand their alcohol-free offerings.

Two weeks ago, the former Republican National Committee boss Ronna McDaniel was hired and then fired as an MSNBC contributor. This came about after pushback from staff, including complaints that she had touted Donald Trump?s debunked claims of voting malfeasance in the 2020 election. At the same time, there was backlash from people on the right who chalked up her dismissal as proof of left-wing media bias. Presiding over the chaos was NBCUniversal News chairman Cesar Conde, who has been trying to make the network for all viewpoints. But is that even possible in the Trump era? We talked to Fast Company contributing writer Brian Stelter, who profiled Cesar Conde in our upcoming spring issue. Then we chatted about one of Fast Company?s recognition programs, Brands That Matter. This is where Fast Company highlights companies that build a connection with their audiences by being culturally relevant, making an impact, and communicating their mission and values clearly. Our advertising and brand correspondent, Jeff Beer, joined us to share his favorite brands at the moment. Kristen Wiig's reprisal of the Target lady, SunChips jumping on the eclipse phenomenon, and . . . Dramamine producing a short documentary about barf bags.

Truth Social went public last week. The company disclosed its finances in an SEC filing that revealed it had brought in just over $4 million in revenue while losing more than $58 million in 2023. Those numbers don?t seem to make sense. ?Fast Company? senior staff editor Max Ufberg joined us to break down what is responsible for the dire state of that business. Also, tweens and teens experimenting with makeup and skincare is nothing new, but there?s a new trend happening where tweens are showing a lot of interest in the Sephora brand . . . so we wanted to hear directly from them and got to speak with one tween about how they got so interested in skincare, and, of course, what their favorite products are. Then we spoke with Artemis Patrick, president and CEO of Sephora North America, who shared why she thinks tweens love the brand so much and what the company is doing to connect with that community.

Y Combinator has become arguably the most powerful force in tech. It touts that five-and-a-half of the startups that have participated in it have become unicorns . . . which is at least double that of rival accelerators such as TechStars and 500 Global. But it started suffering from exactly the kind of corporate bloat that its founder Paul Graham abhorred. Current president and CEO Garry Tan?who also happens to be a YC alum?took over last January and promised to reclaim YC?s roots and focus on serving early-stage founders. Here?s Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris to help fill us in on the behind-the-scenes action. In theory, there are a lot of benefits to indoor farming . . . they often use 90% less water than traditional farms and can produce year-round crops, but we?ve also seen a whole bunch of companies like AeroFarms, AppHarvest, and others really struggle to make the unit economics work. We wanted to hear from Oishii cofounder and CEO Hiroki Koga. His luxury strawberries can be purchased at Whole Foods for $15. Here, he talks about the challenges of vertical farming, and explains why he recently raised a whopping $134 million to expand his operation.

The impact of AI on finance departments will be huge.

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 and who her personal faves were. Spoilers: Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com. Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there. For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story!

Today?s CEOs can?t rely on their CMOs to tell them what?s on the minds of consumers. The modern chief executive must be fully plugged in to consumer wants and needs, which change more quickly than ever as technology evolves. Fast Company Editor-in-Chief Brendan Vaughan chatted with Verizon Consumer CEO Sowmyanarayan Sampath at the Fast Company Grill at this year's South by Southwest to discuss how the leader of Verizon?s consumer business stays on top?and how you can do the same.

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 best-friend-of-the-pod Max Ufberg also moderated a number of panels. We met up with Max in person to record the show for the first time! Here's our recap of the weekend at the Fast Company Grill. Then, Netflix?s new series ?3 Body Problem? is based on the first volume of the Chinese science fiction trilogy ?Remembrance of Earth?s Past.? The series depicts a fictional past, present, and future when an alien civilization comes to Earth. Yaz chatted with ?Game of Thrones? showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, ?True Blood? executive producer Alexander Woo, and director Derek Tsang about the process of adapting a popular book series and turning it into a successful television show . . . and whether or not fan reactions factor into it.

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

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 the money) that go into creating Oscar campaigns. Carieri creates experiences and events around entertainment, awards, film, and television as an independent marketing strategist. She also oversees experiential marketing activations as an accounts director at Civic Entertainment Group. She told us about the history of Oscar campaigns, the budgets behind these efforts, and we list some of the more successful campaigns. On another story, luxury consignment company The RealReal has struggled to prove to investors that it can be a profitable company. But just last week, the company announced that it had its first profitable quarter. Rati Sahi Levesque, president and COO, explains how the company turned things around.

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

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 Paltrow to Eminem?were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire some monkey jpegs store on the blockchain as NFTs. The conglomerate overseeing the collection along with other NFT series, such as CryptoPunks, is called Yuga Labs. VCs including A16z flocked to invest in it, valuing the company at $4 billion. Yuga?s stated ambition at the time was to create an interoperable gaming metaverse, where NFT holders could game on a browser. Lately, though, it seems that things haven?t been going so well for the company. ?Fast Company? tech editor Max Ufberg joined us to interview Yaz and ?Fast Company? staff editor, Connie Lin, about what happened and whether NFTs are even still . . . a thing. Then, Bubble Goods founder and CEO Jessica Young wanted to create an online marketplace where you could find the best?and best-for-you?foods right at your fingertips. Bubble Goods carries only packaged goods that are free of preservatives, artificial dyes, and fillers, plus no refined or cane sugar. And everything it sells comes from small, indie makers that Bubble Goods taste-tests first to make sure its worthy of its consumers. We spoke to Jessica about what led her to create this space for food products, the vetting process for items to be on the site, and what are some of her favorites on the platform.

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 editor Mark Wilson joined us to chat about a couple of devices, including the Humane Pin, the Rabbit r1, and a wearable AI microphone called Tab. For more on these, check out Mark?s reporting, and what he thinks about the Apple Vision Pro. In 2022, the beauty market?defined as skincare, fragrance, makeup, and haircare?generated approximately $430 billion in revenue. Today, beauty is on an upward trajectory across all categories. It has proven to be resilient amid global economic crises. We wanted to figure out why. So, Yaz sat down with Kara Brothers, president of Starface, which makes star-shaped acne patches so popular with Gen Z on social media; Volition Beauty founder and VC Patricia Santos who also works with influencers to launch products for their audience; and makeup artist and luxury-brand founder Fara Homidi.

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 state of the dating industry. Fast Company Staff Writer Jess Bursztynsky joined us to chat about what the apps are doing to address dating fatigue and how they're continuing to incorporate AI into their strategies, for example, Tinder is able to use AI to help users pick out which photos in their camera rolls would work best for their profiles.  Then Angara co-founders Aditi and Ankur Daga, and Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein came on the pod to discuss the lab-grown diamond boom and whether or not you should disclose when you've purchased a lab-grown diamond. Answer: yes. This business is all about trust.

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 staff editor Jeff Beer joined us to share what he thinks about this year?s slate of ads. He?s noticed how brands are evolving to use the Super Bowl itself in their teasers and ads, which shows the trajectory of the way brands are going . . . they used to go for funny or emotional but now it?s an ad about being an ad. Using the game itself to help advertise a product is creating a very meta approach. We also talked about what?s going on with those Stanley cups. ?Fast Company? senior staff writer Liz Segran explained how the trendy tumblers do contain lead but more importantly, how this revelation will impact the company?s dominance in the very crowded reusable water bottle market. Also, how sustainable are these containers when they?re being marketed as a fashion accessory? For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

Yaz wrote a story about an upstart wrestling league called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its founder and CEO Tony Khan. ?Fast Company? deputy editor David Lidsky joined us to chat about Yaz?s piece on Tony, why he formed AEW in 2019, and how he was a huge wrestling nerd who grew up doing e-wrestling. And here are some more wrestling updates: Starting in January 2025, WWE?s flagship series, Raw, will be moving to Netflix WWE will still have some shows streaming on Peacock and still has pay-per-view offerings Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson is joining the board of directors at TKO Group (which consists of UFC and WWE) Then, our producer Blake Odom sat down with Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla. They chatted about the company?s $4 billion valuation, its most prominent investor (SoftBank), and how it jumped into the very crowded athleisure space.

Daily Harvest is introducing a new collection of meals tailor-made for people on weight-loss medications like Ozempic. Daily Harvest president Ricky Silver explained how Daily Harvest?s January Jumpstart program includes GLP-1-focused meal plans. Then we chatted with Sharp Entertainment CEO Matt Sharp. Sharp is the guy behind such reality TV hits as ?90 Day Fiancé,? ?Inmate to Roommate,? and ?Help! I?m in a Secret Relationship!? He told us about how many nos he got from networks before finding success. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ?Fast Company? contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they?re using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ?product liability claim.? Rather than faulting these platforms for other people?s posts?the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from?these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn?t cover. Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company?s top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

We spoke with Jeff Lee, cofounder and CEO of DIBS Beauty about his approach to building brand awareness, partnering with celebrities, and starting a company during the pandemic. ?What makes us so unique, I think, is the way we speak with our customer at DIBS; we like to joke that it?s reverse master class. People used to learn about makeup from celebrities, from celebrity makeup artists. . . . We?re just about, take the stick, take the brush, take the powder, put it on?you won?t mess it up. And if you learn something from your friend over there, even better.? Oh, and he also shared his tips on coaching the Miss Universe pageant. ?The pageants themselves are actually highly meritocratic in the sense that they test your skills. And I like to say that we give opportunities to people who can hit a ball or punch each other out or jump around at a high-level precision?no matter your race, creed or your background, your economic background for pageants?we?re giving people the opportunity to succeed. We?re democratizing access to fame and opportunities.?

And that's a wrap on 2023. Join our podcast hosts, Kathleen Davis, KC Ifeanyi, Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen as they look back on this past year. Happy New Year!

In the United States, nearly three-quarters of adults qualify as overweight or obese, 42% of whom are considered obese. The World Obesity Federation predicts that 51% of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035. ?Fast Company? contributing writer Adam Bluestein joined us to break down how Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, developed and marketed its weight-loss drugs. He also explained why the drugs have become so popular in the U.S., how drug pricing is extremely complicated and . . . how the medications actually work to help people lose weight. Also, we chatted with Trina Spear about how she founded Figs, a DTC healthcare apparel company.

From YouTube to late night to actor to writer, Lilly Singh has always been a storyteller. In that vein, she started a company called Unicorn Island Productions a few years ago. The company has both a production arm and a nonprofit arm, which is Unicorn Island Fund. Singh told us that the company's mandate is simple. It's making stories that look like the real world. That means making stories that highlight underrepresented voices?which, more and more that's becoming South Asian voices?and ensuring that women are at the center of the stories. The company recently released a kids' animated series called The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island. The series comprises a quick 10 episodes that teach kids one mindfulness exercise each episode. And they're free on YouTube. "And it's so meaningful to me because [. . .] it's kind of like a love letter to younger Lilly, because in my adult life, meditation and mindfulness and mental health are so important. But admittedly, when I was younger, I knew nothing about this. It was never discussed in school or at home. If kids could learn how to meditate and regulate their emotions . . . just know that feeling things is okay and how to deal with that and how to reconcile that, that would be amazing." For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

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 might mean for both the company and the fast fashion industry at large. For more on Shein, check out Liz's article Serendipitously, Shein?s head of strategic communications Peter Pernot-Day also joined us. He filled us in on how the company's on-demand model is constantly responding to consumers, creating low inventory levels, which leads to virtually no waste. "That means that we can pass on tremendous savings to our customers because we do not have to account for inventory risk in any of the garments we offer. Really, the entire purpose of the site is to give people lots of options to see what they actually want to wear at that present moment and then to produce only what we think they will actually purchase." He also discussed the company's zero tolerance for forced labor, vetting its supply chain and abiding by its environmental standards. "If a large player like us is paying attention to these things, that helps the entire supplier network, the entire supplier ecosystem realize, hey, this is the new way of doing business. This is what it means to participate with a global brand like Shein. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

The long-simmering fault lines within OpenAI over questions of safety with regard to the deployment of large language models like GPT, the engine behind OpenAI?s ChatGPT and Dall-E services, came to a head on November 17 when the organization?s nonprofit board of directors voted to fire CEO Sam Altman. But then he was reinstated on November 22. It?s been a wild ride, but Fast Company senior writers Ainsley Harris and Mark Sullivan joined us to help break down the confusing back and forth at the generative AI company. For more on the company?s tumultuous activities, check out Ainsley's and Mark's reporting. ?We need to make it a little more snackable, a little bit more bite-size.? USAFacts president Poppy MacDonald explained how she helps make government data more accessible, available, and interactive. Founded and funded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the nonpartisan nonprofit ensures government data is available to the general public. But what about operating in a post-truth world? MacDonald explained they don?t get involved in polling or forecasts, and instead they stick with what the facts are as published by the government. They provide the data and then people?whether an individual, business, or elected leader?decide what they want to do about that data. ?We?re really hoping for a healthy debate, but we think a healthy debate about how to move our democracy forward starts with facts.? For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

Ideo is one of the most famous global design agencies in the world. Founded in 1991, it is celebrated for popularizing the modern corporate mantra of design thinking. It?s also known for a top-tier client list including companies such as Coca-Cola, Disney, and Apple, with estimated annual revenues of more than $100 million. But Ideo has been shedding employees since 2020. This is the second round of layoffs in 2023 alone. Ideo has since confirmed to Fast Company that it?s eliminating 32% of its headcount this year. Fast Company Senior Editor Liz Stinson breaks down the reason for the layoffs and what this means for "design thinking." For more, check out Mark Wilson's piece on Ideo "People thought we were crazy." Somos cofounder and CEO Miguel Leal wanted to bring authentic Mexican food to people's kitchens. "It was time to move the cuisine forward," he said. "Eighty-two percent of Mexican food comes from a restaurant. That is not the same for Italian food. That is not the same for Chinese food. That is very peculiar to Mexican food. And because of the size of the market, it's a $68 billion market. We just thought, what a great opportunity to become the spaghetti and sauce of Mexican food." And speaking of home cooking, Happy Thanksgiving!! For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Correction: We said former Ideo CEO Tim Brown was associated with the d.school at Stanford University but he is not.

After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike finally came to a close. Fast Company deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel breaks down what happened this past summer with the strike, as well as the overall state of unions at the moment. As of airing this episode, the union?s national board approved the new contract with major studios and sent it to membership for ratification. ?I?m completely uninterested in building small things.? Emma Grede has started a LOT of businesses. Probably best known for cofounding Good American, Emma is also a founding partner at Skims. For her, when it comes to starting a business, it?s never about who she?s going to partner with but rather what problem are we solving: What are we trying to do, and how do we uniquely align that with the right individual at the time? As she was starting out, Emma worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Dior, Chanel, and Calvin Klein. She said that gave her a kind of unique understanding and perspective, but also a clear insight into what she considers one of the best accelerators: fame. ?I was very, very early in influencer marketing, and I think that we?ve seen enough celebrities create brands and fail or create brands and not have success like Good American and Skims and Safely to know that it isn?t talent alone [that?s] going to propel a brand.? For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!