Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i Fast Company

It was my kids who encouraged me to up my Spotify game. They were spending hours each day on the service, using the free tier to listen to everything from the Hamilton soundtrack to Korean pop music to classic rock. I eventually upgraded us to a family premium plan so we could all download and enjoy our favorites, ad-free, without using up cellular data or needing to be near a Wi-Fi hot spot. Spotify is now such a part of my routine—it fuels my weekend run, provides the soundtrack for singalongs in the car, and feeds me podcasts for my daily commute—that I sometimes forget how improbable its rise was. In his revealing cover story, writer (and former Fast Company editor) Robert Safian reminds us of Spotify’s humble origins, and…

1. Delete those apps JAKE KNAPP, FORMER DESIGN PARTNER, GOOGLE VENTURES; COAUTHOR, MAKE TIME “My iPhone had always absorbed my attention, but in 2012, when it started to encroach on time with my kids, I decided to do something about it. I deleted every app that distracted me: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. I deleted the Gmail app, and disabled the built-in email and even Safari. It was a huge relief. I thought this would be a short-term experiment, but six years later, those apps are still off my iPhone.” 2. Supersize your device MICHELL ZAPPA, FOUNDER, ENVISIONING TECHNOLOGY “To develop awareness of when and how I used my smartphone, I tried replacing it with the iPad mini 3G, which has all the features of the iPhone, except calling. Because the…

Consider the pencil skirt, a wardrobe staple for working women. The ideal version should sit snugly at the waist, hug the hips, and taper down to the wearer’s knees, while still allowing her enough room to stride (rather than waddle) across a boardroom. A good pencil skirt, in other words, requires the right fit, which is precisely what’s bedeviling Alexandra Waldman on a recent morning at the New York headquarters of upstart fashion brand Universal Standard. The company’s cofounder and creative director is scrutinizing a line of seven models, sizes 6 to 32, all wearing a version of a black pencil skirt with an elegant geometric pattern. “The width needs to be wider on the size 6 so she can walk comfortably,” Waldman says, making notes for the factory, which…

THE PROBLEM Many women struggle to find a sports bra that is both comfortable for everyday use and supportive enough for intense exercise. THE EPIPHANY Reebok designer Danielle Witek read about a material invented at the University of Delaware, called shear thickening fluid, that transitions from a liquid to an ultrastrong solid when it’s in motion. NASA incorporates it in space suits to shield against debris; it’s also used in bulletproof vests. THE EXECUTION Reebok infused the fluid into a proprietary fabric and perfected prototypes at a university testing facility equipped with 54 motion sensors. THE RESULT The new PureMove Bra, which adapts to women’s movements, is now on sale. “This is the first time we are creating this fabric on a large scale,” says Witek. “There’s so much more…

Q & A BARRY DILLER As a Hollywood executive, Barry Diller helped shape the careers of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, onetime Columbia Pictures president Dawn Steel, and DreamWorks cofounder Jeffrey Katzenberg, who, among many others, became known in the industry as the “Killer Dillers.” As chairman and senior executive of media and internet conglomerate IAC and chairman of travel juggernaut Expedia, he has mentored Mindy Grossman (now CEO of Weight Watchers) and Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO of Uber). In today’s era of data-driven talent management, Diller’s ongoing success offers a reminder of the power of intuition. You’ve identified and nurtured high performers across several industries and businesses for many years. Putting aside job titles and functions, what traits indicate great talent? I would say there are none, when [employees] begin.…

INSTAGRAM ART AND FASHION INFLUENCERS Aureta Thomollari and Jordan “Watts” Watson LOS ANGELES When Aureta Thomollari (@Aureta) and Jordan “Watts” Watson (@love.watts) first met at a friend’s L.A. party in 2014, they discovered a shared passion for art, fashion, and Instagram. The two decided to collaborate, creating several new Instagram accounts with a combined following that now exceeds 3 million, fueling Watson’s business as an art curator and Thomollari’s as a global luxury brand consultant. “A big turning point was when Rihanna followed [us],” Watson says. “I had the tastemakers coming to me for my taste. That’s when I was like, Okay, it’s time to take this seriously.” From building self-driving cars to shooting video from drones, these six people are thriving in occupations that didn’t even exist a decade…

A CRYPTIC MISSIVE WENT OUT LAST SPRING TO all 3.6 million people who follow McDonald’s on Twitter. The tweet read, simply: “100% Fresh Beef + John Goodman = ASMR(ish)” and included a link to a video. In the splitscreen clip, the Big Lebowski and Roseanne star stares into the camera and—somewhat unnervingly—whispers a carnal ode to the fast-food giant’s Quarter Pounder burger, accompanied by the sounds and visuals of an appetizing-looking patty sizzling on the grill. “Hey, you,” Goodman murmurs intently. “McDonald’s new fresh-beef Quarter Pounder is hotter and juicier. It’ll leave you speechless. I can almost feel that juice sizzling…. Oh baby, the melted cheese is hugging every corner of that grilled patty…. That cheese is so hot, so melty.” ¶ ASMR videos, named for autonomous sensory meridian response, typically star carefully primped…

FARMGIRL FLOWERS Bouquets starting at $48 farmgirlflowers.com “This San Francisco florist [which delivers nationwide] keeps it fresh and interesting. Each bouquet is wrapped with reused burlap coffee bags from local roasters.” Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin Cofounders and co-CEOs, theSkimm POLO & PAN soundcloud.com/polo-pan “Not enough people know about this French DJ group. They’re a huge part of my weekly listening. Their song ‘Canopée’ is the epitome of their sound.” Ben Taft Cofounder and CEO, Mira SAKARA ORGANIC MEAL KIT $239 for three days sakara.com “I heard about Sakara and tried their Level II Detox. It’s an amazing all-around cleanse that challenges both your eating habits and mental outlook.” Jenny Fleiss Cofounder and CEO, Jetblack THE PHLUID PROJECT Tops starting at $25 thephluidproject.com “This clothing store bills itself as the…

From his late-’90s TV show Freaks and Geeks, which launched the careers of Seth Rogen and James Franco, to female-driven comedies such as Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy, which did the same for Melissa McCarthy, Paul Feig (pronounced Feeg) has demonstrated a knack for eliciting memorable breakout performances. His latest film, out this month, is the comedic whodunit A Simple Favor, which stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively as feminist oddballs whose humor is laced with an ominous edge. As he gears up for his next producing projects—the women-in-the-workplace TV pilot Girls Code and the Netflix romantic comedy Someone Great, starring Gina Rodriguez—Feig shares his tips for unlocking creativity and creating a more balanced workforce. GET OUT OF THE WAY To draw the best performances from his actors—and the most…

The New York–based startup behind the popular dog-toy and dog-treat subscription service Bark-Box is an emerging player in the $86 billion pet industry. Bark produces more than 35 playful, pun-in-cheek products each month—a fiery-haired “Dognald” chew toy and “Playwatch” squirrels dressed as lifeguards among them—and sells them via subscription boxes, retailers including Target and Urban Outfitters, and on barkshop.com. Here are five ways Bark turned our doggie devotion into more than $200 million in revenue a year. Listen to your critics BarkBox has more than 600,000 subscribers and a 90% customer retention rate, thanks to a quick-thinking service team. If a customer reports that a dog doesn’t like a particular product, or mangles something too quickly, Bark sends a replacement and then customizes future shipments to fit the animal’s chewing…

When California’s recreational marijuana law took effect in January, Los Angeles became one of the country’s largest cannabis markets. Cat Packer, head of the city’s department of cannabis regulation, is guiding a booming business—which includes hundreds of eager entrepreneurs as well as still-thriving unlicensed operators—through an unprecedented transition. Here’s how Packer, a former advocate with the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit aimed at ending the war on drugs, is addressing the issues facing the industry. 1. Curtailing the gray market The city is granting licenses in phases, beginning with existing medical dispensaries, then commercial vendors who were operating before the law was passed, and, finally, new entrants. Although the delay in approvals has bolstered the illicit market, Packer isn’t in a hurry. She’s focused on helping consumers discern legal merchants…

Upstart Spanish designer Nagami partnered this year with the prolific firm Zaha Hadid Architects on a pair of chairs reminiscent of coral reefs that stretch the potential of 3-D printing beyond small, simple products to dazzling works of art. ZHA’s “Rise” and “Bow” chairs (which each sell for approximately $23,000) were manufactured by Nagami’s proprietary software, which translates designs into digital models and then analyzes them for manufacturing feasibility, flagging possible issues such as surfaces that might not be stable. Once the models were finalized, robotic arms printed the pieces in biodegradable, plant-based plastic. The process dramatically reduces the environmental toll of producing high-end furniture, which typically involves parts shipped from all over the world. Even as Nagami, founded in 2016 in the ancient city of Ávila, expands its own…

Jana Rich, founder and CEO of Rich Talent Group, works with companies such as Nike, Square, and Weight Watchers. We asked her which skills and traits rising stars need to hone. A mission Warby Parker cofounder Neil Blumenthal and Allbirds cofounder Tim Brown inspire employees by donating a pair of glasses for every pair sold (Warby Parker) and using sustainable materials for its shoes (Allbirds). But conveying clear purpose is a must for “all members of a leadership team, not just founders,” Rich says. Open arms “If a person isn’t able to attract and retain a diverse team, they won’t succeed,” Rich says, praising Cindy Robbins, Salesforce’s president and chief people officer, who helps lead the company’s effort to close gender pay gaps. Growth mind-set The future will favor those…

THE PHONE CALL THAT ENDED THE MILITARY career of Midshipman Deja Baker came on a rainy morning in Hawaii in late May of 2017. Having recently completed her third year at the U.S. Naval Academy, Baker was on leave, one week into a month of R&R—hiking, beachcombing, and Netflix-bingeing at her fiancé’s apartment in Oahu. The voice on the phone was her company officer’s. He told her she was to return to Annapolis immediately and pack up her things. Her time at the academy was over. “It put me in panic mode,” she says. That spring, a mysterious bruise on her leg had prompted Baker to visit the doctor, a decision that tipped one unlucky domino after the next: The doctor ordered blood tests; the results were alarming, and he…

DAY 1 • Dust off old résumé• Google “résumé formats”• Read fascinating 7,000-word Medium article on the origins of Helvetica• Sign up for job alerts on Indeed plus a dozen other sites you’ve never heard of DAY 2 • Review 16 job-alert emails—nearly a thousand jobs!• Nap• Create spreadsheet to track all the résumés you’ll be submitting• Start Khan Academy tutorial to brush up on Excel but switch to season 6 of The Americans DAY 3 • Read “The 5 Mistakes You’re Making on LinkedIn”• Make 5 edits to your LinkedIn profile• Discover former assistant is now COO of a crypto startup that just ICO’d• Quick Whole Foods run to stock up on sea salt caramel ice cream DAY 5 • Cull through job alerts• Apply for 25 positions• Identify…

1 The Run-Up White Castle marketing head Kim Bartley became interested in meat alternatives a few years ago and asked the chain’s director of innovation and head chef to keep an eye out. “They brought the Impossible to me and I was blown away,” she says. White Castle and Impossible Foods worked on the patty throughout 2017; within 18 months of Bartley’s first taste, the slider was on test-market menus. 2 The Rollout The Impossible Slider, released April 12 in 140 outposts in New York, New Jersey, and Chicago, was aimed less at vegetarians and vegans than the more than 26% of Americans looking to eat less meat. Unlike the beef sliders, which are steam grilled, the Impossible Slider is cooked to order on the grill. Each sandwich takes around…

I don’t like to say “hi.” I’m a “hey” person. But more and more, I find myself greeting friends and colleagues with a “hi” on email. Why? Because Google suggests that I do. In May, Gmail introduced a new “Smart Compose” feature that uses autocomplete technology to predict my next words in gray. I accept them simply by hitting TAB. Words matter to me. I am a professional writer, after all. But then Gmail made it tantalizingly easy to say “hi” instead of “hey,” and Google’s prediction, albeit wrong at first, became self fulfilling. It wasn’t until two weeks after I began using Smart Compose that I realized I had handed over a small part of my identity to an algorithm. This sort of predictive technology is everywhere: Amazon suggests…

FOR 70 DAYS AT THE BEGINNING of this year, Daniel Ek and a group of friends competed to see who could cut their body-fat percentage the most. Ek, the 35-year-old cofounder and CEO of the streaming service Spotify, went on a special regimen, which included twice-a-day workouts and a single meal—specially configured for him—eaten at a set time each afternoon. “You look great,” teased music impresario Scooter Braun, a participant in the contest, who texted his friend after noting Ek’s slimmed-down physique during Spotify’s web-broadcast Investor Day presentation in late March. “Too bad you lost.” ¶ When I see Ek a few days later, on the eve of Spotify’s listing as a public company on the New York Stock Exchange, he acknowledges that he’d been bested in the body-fat battle…

Rod Levy founded Code Platoon in 2014 with veterans like Deja Baker in mind. The Chicago-based program teaches practical coding skills and lines up private-sector internships for its students. A Cornell graduate with degrees in civil structural engineering and environmental economics (as well as an MBA from the University of Chicago), Levy left his career as a derivatives trader to try his hand at a coding boot camp himself. He’d hoped to become the technical founder of his own venture-backed startup, but after completing the nine-week program and working briefly as a junior developer, he pivoted and decided to empower others instead. Levy realized that if he made a code academy that focused on veterans—a group of people who were by nature (and training) driven, disciplined, and decisive—he could give…