1. Reed Hastings, Chief Executive Officer, Netflix
Reed Hastings could have stuck with his first breakthrough idea--Netflix recently mailed its 2-billionth DVD. Instead, he's swiftly embraced streaming online and direct to TV via Netflix-ready devices made by LG, Samsung, Microsoft, and others. So far, it seems to be working: Netflix's stock price has doubled since last November, reaching record highs.
2. Michele Ganeless, President, Comedy Central
First came South Park, then The Daily Show and its Colbert spin-off. Now Michele Ganeless is expanding into digital territory. Comedy Central has launched Web sites for all its shows as well as stand-alone sites such as Jokes.com, the largest Internet archive of stand-up videos, plus videos from Sarah Silverman, Carlos Mencia, and Dane Cook.
3. Dave Morin, Senior Platform Manager, Facebook
He's Facebook's strategic thinker on the next big thing in social media--identity protection on the Web. The issue is who is going to set the standards for open-identity protocols that would enable you to safely take your online profile and relationships with you everywhere on the Internet. Morin's team recently launched its own open-identity application, Facebook Connect, which lets users log in to some 8,000 sites and applications.
4. Stephen Chau, Product Manager, Google Maps and Google Earth
Incorporating photos into online maps wasn't a new idea at Google, but no one had figured out how to pull it off until Stephen Chau tackled what became Street View, the company's fastest-growing product of 2008. Vehicles equipped with a half-dozen cameras covered much of the United States and are now photographing nine other countries.
5. Evan Williams, CEO, Twitter @ev Site getting more buzz than F-book. Yearly traffic up 1,200%. Estimated worth = $500 million+. Wow! #twitter
6. Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Partner architect, MSN and Microsoft Visual Earth
Techies have long sought to display huge files in high resolution without crashing a computer. Blaise Aguera y Arcas did it, with software called Seadragon. Microsoft bought Seadragon and integrated it into photosynth, the 3-D photo application popularized by CNN in its presidential-inauguration coverage. As Microsoft incorporates zooming into more applications, Aguera y Arcas will transform how we experience visual data.
7. Susan Wu, Chief executive officer, Ohai
How do you make money from things that don't exist? Susan Wu intends to show you. The first venture capitalist to focus on virtual goods--products that don't exist offline, such as Facebook gifts and everything your avatar needs in Second Life--Wu is the doyenne of this growing niche. Her startup focuses on massively multiplayer online games and will count on virtual goods for the bulk of its revenue.
8. Henrik Werdelin, Chief creative officer, Joost
Inspired by how people move in the real world, Werdelin has led the transformation of Joost into a "learning" site that tracks how you watch and what you share with friends, and customizes itself by, say, automatically moving up your fave features. The strategy is working: In the past five months, traffic has quadrupled and the Joost iPhone app has been downloaded 1.5 million times.
9. Scott Schuman, Blogger
Scott Schuman started his fashion blog, The Sartorialist, to "share photos of everyday people I thought looked great." More than 2,000 posts later, the former Valentino marketer has a monthly column in GQ, a six-figure book deal with Penguin, and a booming photography business. Oh, and he says The Sartorialist lures roughly 120,000 visitors a day.
10. Chris Ferguson, Founder, Full Tilt Poker
He was the first poker player to win a tournament prize of more than $1 million. Now Chris Ferguson has claimed some $7.3 million in winnings. But his biggest bet was starting Full Tilt Poker with 12 pros who join in online games instead of the usual one or two. Full Tilt is one of the fastest-growing poker sites in the world.
June 1-2 in San Francisco, Join Vice President of Disney.com Jason Davis, Executive Director of Marketing for Walt Disney Records Kelly Hugunin and Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Disney Online Paul Yanover as they cover everything from generating submissions and managing logistics, screening and judging to defining success.
This is the event where you'll find out what leading-edge technologies youth are using today--and will be using tomorrow. You'll also get an insider's view into youth-focused tech and media startups and learn how to leverage social media, gaming, virtual worlds, mobile and more to authentically reach youth.
Gain insight from new research on youth and technology
Get the latest trends in mobile, social networking, virtual worlds and online video
Hear how brands and non-profits are using social media to reach youth
Learn how to attract and engage young talent
Meet a new group of "totally wired" youth entrepreneurs
Click here to register, and enter the code FC for a 30% discount.
Hurry and take advantage of this exclusive Fast Company offer--a full year, that's 10 issues of Fast Company magazine for only $12.97. Your first issue will ship tomorrow (the next business day) and you'll receive continuous service through our Automatic Renewal Program, which means in using your credit card, your service will never be interrupted when your subscription year ends. (Go green! Save paper! Save time with automatic renewal!)
Act Fast and you could receive our latest issue featuring Fast Company magazine’s inaugural ranking of the 100 Most Creative People in Business, with Jonathan Ive, SVP of Industrial Design at Apple, in the top spot, and Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ranking at No. 2.
The list includes engineers from Facebook and Google, movie directors and fashion designers, architects and inventors. Rounding out the top 10 are Shai Agassi, CEO, Better Place; Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix; Rich Ross, President, Disney Channels Worldwide; Tero Ojanperä, EVP, Nokia; Sandy Bodecker, VP of Global Design, Nike; Michele Ganeless, President, Comedy Central; Jon Rubinstein, Executive Chairman, Palm; and James Schamus, CEO, Focus Features.
To receive this special expedited offer, click here.
TWTRCON SF 09--Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, May 31, 2009--is the first conference entirely focused
on Twitter as a business platform: how to use Twitter to reach and
engage customers, influence opinions and activate markets.
Learn how to:
Create your Twitter business strategy
Explore applications that create revenue
Use Twitter to listen to customers and respond
Network and share ideas with leading business, marketing, media and
PR executives, key Twitter developers and social media experts
Keep up with the top stories, the latest photos, and newest videos from Fast Company anytime, anywhere. Install this widget on your Web site by clicking the +share button below to get started.
Defying the stereotype that the tech world belongs to pocket-protector toting guys hooked on sci-fi and video games; hundreds of women are gearing up for the second annual "Women Who Tech" international telesummit on May 12 at http://www.womenwhotech.com. These are no ordinary women either. The participants are the cadre of women from around the globe who leverage their technology savvy to inspire change and transform the world.
Women Who Tech's thought provoking panels (held by phone and the Web) offer the latest resources and tools for:
"Women have been at the forefront of developing technology before the days of floppy discs, CRT monitors and corded mice," said Allyson Kapin, the organizer of Women Who Tech. "The Women Who Tech telesummit is for those of us who see computers as instruments of social change, not just hardware and software. It's for women who are committed to applying technology in ways that engage people and advance our common values."
New for 2009: Women Who Tech is organizing fun after-parties after the TeleSummit on May 12 in Washington, D.C., NYC, San Francisco, and London.
The Women Who Tech TeleSummit is made possible through the generous support of Rad Campaign, FreePress, Democracy In Action, Convio, Care2, Massey Media, NTEN and Network Solutions.
Mobile App Mania, by Farhad Manjoo, page 72
Everyone wants a piece of the booming iPhone ecosystem, from competitors like Google to marketers like Nike. Farhad Manjoo analyzes the mania that has grown up overnight around the iPhone and Apple’s App Store. Entrepreneurs like Ethan Nicholas, who projects his tank game will make him a millionaire this year; big brands such as Kraft, which see the app world as a ripe marketing realm; and device makers such as Research in Motion and Nokia all are salivating to exploit the new passion for mobile tools. (Read it here)
The Doctor of the Future: How Facebook-like Software and Surgical Robots Are Bringing the American Health-care System Into the 21st Century, by Chuck Salter, page 64
Cutting-edge technologies, from Facebook-like software to surgical robots, are bringing the American health-care system into the 21st century--just in time. Senior writer Chuck Salter avoids the swamp of congressional hearings, lobbyists’ arguments, and think-tank reports about health-care reform and instead visits with on-the-job doctors who are already deploying the kinds of cutting-edge technology that could make medical treatment cheaper, better, and more convenient--and reassert America’s global leadership in this critical area. (Read it here)
Meth Mouth: Tom Siebel's Brash Anti-Crystal Campaign, by James Verini, page 84
Tech billionaire Tom Siebel has no doubt that he can keep teenagers off crystal meth--and change the world--as long as everything is done his way. James Verini explores the method behind the Meth Project, whose graphic, harrowing TV ads--directed by big-time auteurs--have blanketed Montana’s airwaves since 2005. (Read it here)
We often engage in conversations with our readers on Twitter. Our most recent discussion centered on the future of ideas, whether ides even matter, and when it comes to ideas vs. execution, which one is more important. Follow the thread and then let us know what you think.
fastcompany: RT @integratedmom:The Web has made it too easy for people to lift ideas and pawn them off as their own. I'm frustrated. (TRUISM)
fastcompany: RT @drnatalie: execution is everything... as a former rocket scientist... theory is nice... but seeing things work in the real world is it
Here are the highlights so far from our 2009 Milan Furniture Fair coverage--from essays and news to photos taken by Fast Company's Milan Photo Brigade.
Fast Company publishes a couple dozen stories each day on its Web site, which is more than you can keep up with at your desk. Luckily, Fast Company's gone mobile. Getting our latest news is easy, here's how:
Milan Articles
Milan Photos
