UPDATED LINKS BELOW:
Whoa! The turmoil continues at Fast Company. After recruiting a white knight to save Fast Company from the precipice of death, editor-in-chief John Byrne has decided to leave. Byrne is headed back to BusinessWeek in the newly created position of Executive Editor. (Prior to his two-year stint at Fast Company, Byrne spent 18 years at BusinessWeek.)
Life at Fast Company is getting … faster. Faster to where though?????
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John, thanks for the update on Fast Company. FC was a very encouraging resource for me when I first found myeslf moving into the business world. I wasn't sure that the values, passions and skills I had would be of any value to anyone.
Here is a question for you: in the best of worlds, where would you like to see FC move towards? I am interested in what kind of contribution you might see a magazine making either for you as an individual or as a company.
Posted by: Michael | July 19, 2005 at 10:32 PM
I really dig Fast Company. I liked it enough that I subscribed. This was months ago. I got my free pen and my free bag. Still waiting for my first issue. This chaos must have trickled down to the circulation department.
Posted by: Tim | July 20, 2005 at 12:02 AM
Michael … good questions.
I truly believe when Fast Company emerged in November 1995, it made the common business magazine uncommon … and uncommonly great at that. The founding fathers of the magazine set out to create the vocabulary of the new business revolution and to get us talking about the high value of values. To a large extent, mission accomplished.
But that was then.
Today, Fast Company needs to rededicate itself to changing the business world AGAIN.
Fast Company has become far too common a business magazine. Back in the day it felt more like the Utne Reader while today, it lacks feeling and reads too much like Fortune magazine.
My advice for Fast Company is to STOP. Take a break. Exhale. Reassess. Stop publishing issues. Then, determine if the Fast Company family really wants to change the business world again. If the answer is YES … then craft a New Handbook of the Business Revolution (like the founding fathers before them did) and reemerge as a quarterly publication.
However, if Fast Company is not up for the challenge of changing the business world again -- don’t bother putting words to paper. Let the publication fade off into the sunset. I’ll always have a special place in my heart and in my mind for Fast Company.
Posted by: johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy) | July 20, 2005 at 12:27 AM