Episodes

  • Selling the Future

    Selling the Future
    Feb 26 2025
    David Droga is a legendary advertising creative and executive. He’s also CEO of Accenture Song, one of the largest advertising and marketing services firms on the planet. For those two reasons, we kick off Brand New World with Droga at the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Why there and then? It’s the world’s biggest convergence of media, marketing, entertainment, technology, and brands, and a mirror of what's happening and a bellwether of what's to come, on a global scale. There’s no better time and place to start a conversation about how brands, and the marketing and advertising industries are approaching AI at this nascent moment. In this episode, I talked to Droga about what Accenture’s $3 billion commitment to AI means for his work, how it compares to the first digital revolution two decades ago, where it may be headed in the not-so-distant future, and the impact it will have on the art of persuasion and pop culture.
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    46 mins
  • DeepSeek, OpenAI, and the relentless AI race

    DeepSeek, OpenAI, and the relentless AI race
    Feb 13 2025
    On today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including Elon Musk’s unsolicited bid to buy OpenAI, the latest inflation numbers for the U.S., and the AI summit in Paris. Next, ‘Fast Company’ senior writer Mark Sullivan, who covers AI and all things tech-related, walks Yaz and Josh through how DeepSeek upended the AI arms race and what’s next for its competitors. And finally, Yaz and Josh talk to Caroline Spiegel, founder of the audio-erotica startup, Quinn. For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To subscribe to AI Decoded go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/section/ai-decoded Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review Most Innovative Companies on your podcast app of choice. You can also find more Most Innovative Companies podcast content on Fast Company’s YouTube channel along with more videos on business news, tech, design, and work life.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • The Super Bowl is all about the ads

    The Super Bowl is all about the ads
    Feb 6 2025
    On today’s episode, hosts Yaz Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation including the Trump administration’s trade wars, Elon Musk’s crusade against the federal bureaucracy, and the 2024 earnings results recently announced by Apple and Palantir. Then, Yaz talks to ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer, who’s been covering advertising and marketing for nearly two decades, about the ads we’ll be seeing during this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Finally, Josh and Yaz discuss the $5 billion deal that brought the WWE to Netflix.
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Teflon Son? How Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son’s legend keeps growing

    Teflon Son? How Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son’s legend keeps growing
    Jan 30 2025
    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 world of business and innovation, including the fallout from DeepSeek’s LLM launch, the backtracked federal funding freeze, and the rising price of eggs. (01:02) Next, Yasmin Gagne interviews Lionel Barber, former editor of the ‘Financial Times,’ about his new book, a biography of Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son: ‘Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan’s Masayoshi Son.’ They discuss Son’s biggest wins, even bigger losses, and the recently announced $500 billion AI infrastructure project alongside OpenAI and Oracle called Stargate. (06:54) Then, ‘Fast Company’ editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan discusses the reaction at Davos to President Trump’s inauguration. (37:40) For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan’s Masayoshi Son: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451627/gambling-man-by-barber-lionel/9780241582725 Be sure to subscribe, rate and review Most Innovative Companies on your podcast app of choice. You can also find more Most Innovative Companies podcast content on Fast Company’s YouTube channel along with more videos on business news, tech, design and work life.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The LA fires are still burning, TikTok is still running in the US, and the new Trump administration has begun

    The LA fires are still burning, TikTok is still running in the US, and the new Trump administration has begun
    Jan 23 2025
    On today’s episode, Donald Trump has been sworn in as president once again and almost immediately began enacting his agenda. Hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the president's executive orders and policy promises relating to the economy, the tech industry, labor and climate Then, the fires in Los Angeles are still burning. ‘Los Angeles Times’ climate columnist Sammy Roth unpacks the fallout from this disaster and the role climate change has played. Finally, The TikTok ban went into effect over the weekend for a grand total of 12 hours. For now, the app remains operational in the U.S. after former President Biden declared he wouldn’t enforce the ban and President Trump signed an executive order on Monday pausing the ban for 75 days. But, what comes next for TikTok and the creators who lobbied for it to be saved? ‘Fast Company’ executive editor Maia McCann and senior staff editor Max Ufberg help explain the state of TikTok. But, what comes next for TikTok and the creators who lobbied for it to be saved? ‘Fast Company’ executive digital director Maia McCann and senior staff editor Max Ufberg try to explain the state of TikTok. For more of the latest news coming out of the Trump administration, and in the world of business, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news For more on the Los Angeles Fires and Sammy Roth’s writing on climate change, you can find his newsletter, Boiling Point, here and subscribe to his podcast of the same name here Be sure to subscribe, rate and review Most Innovative Companies on your podcast app of choice. You can also find more Most Innovative Companies podcast content on Fast Company’s YouTube channel along with more videos on business news, tech, design and work life.
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Inside Trader Joe’s and NVIDIA

    Inside Trader Joe’s and NVIDIA
    Jan 17 2025
    Fast Company contributing writer Clint Rainey discusses his recent series on Trader Joe’s. He explains how the grocer remains a beloved brand despite a record number of product recalls, safety violations, worker misconduct complaints, and an environmental record that belies its reputation. Then, Tae Kim, a senior technology writer at Barron's and author of The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant ,explains the secret behind NVIDIA's success.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Police departments are embracing AI-enhanced surveillance technology to stop crime

    Police departments are embracing AI-enhanced surveillance technology to stop crime
    Jan 9 2025
    Police departments across the country are embracing AI-enhanced surveillance technology in the name of stopping crime. One prominent security firm called Flock Safety is leading the effort and profiting off our fears. Fast Company Senior Writer Ainsley Harris joined Yaz and Josh to explain how the Atlanta-based startup signed a deal with San Francisco in March 2024 to install and operate 400 LPRs (license plate recognition systems). Then, Yaz chats with President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Games JB Perrette about how (HBO) Max's globalization efforts are the biggest aspect of its growth.
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    57 mins
  • How the most innovative companies work: Mattel - FROM FASTCO WORKS AND ATLASSIAN

    How the most innovative companies work: Mattel - FROM FASTCO WORKS AND ATLASSIAN
    Dec 17 2024
    With a history exceeding 50 years, Hot Wheels has proven it has staying power. Rooted in authentic car design and performance, the brand continues to innovate. In this episode, part of the Atlassian-sponsored 'Behind The Teams' series, Roberto Stanichi, executive vice president of Hot Wheels & the global head of vehicles; Ted Wu, head of design; and Subri Kovilmadam, Mattel’s vice president of technology, reveal how Mattel’s culture of collaboration works.
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    26 mins