Start with a conversation. Bring together 10 forward-looking business leaders -- visionaries in technology, video games, retail, hospitality, finance, and design. Add pressure and limit time to 90 minutes. What do you get? Instant innovation! Polly LaBarre and Alan M. Webber, moderators page 70
Roger Cass is the man who invented the idea of the Long Boom -- the notion that we're only 7 years into a 27-year expansion, the likes of which the world has never seen before. The future, Cass says, is already written. All we need is the confidence to accept it. Harriet Rubin page 88
How do you guide a legendary growth company through the worst slump in its history? That's the challenge that faces Cisco's CEO. In an in-depth interview, John Chambers explains how to slow down smart, why the Internet still matters, and what to do when your customers stop buying. George Anders page 100
It's hard to remember a less-inviting time to have a great idea for a new company or to champion new ideas to change a big company. But leaders who think big aren't willing to downsize their ambitions -- they just have to work a little harder (and smarter). Here's some battle-tested advice on how to stay fast in slow times. Scott Kirsner page 112
Back in the 1960s, the suburbs were a place to escape from -- a plastic trap. Now the generation that fled "little boxes made of ticky-tacky" has its own suburban reality -- and its own question: Is this the future that we want to live in? Ron Lieber page 124
Sometimes, it's the people who come late to a technology that push the envelope. Here's how firefighters and doctors learned to love their PDAs and became the apostles of the mobile economy. Fara Warner page 39
What would you do with the world's largest non-floating ship's hull when it's sailing above the lobby of your corporate headquarters? Fara Warner page 44
Symphony conductor Roger Nierenberg knows a thing or two about creative management. How else do you get the piccolos and the percussion to stay on the same page? Jill Rosenfeld page 46
When workers and execs from Roadway Express came together to strategize about the company's future, they made a startling discovery: Everyone wanted the same things. Keith H. Hammonds page 56
Never mind the cuff links: Charles Schwab is an egalitarian. The man who democratized stock trading talks about nirvana, sage investing, and his first bubble. Charles Fishman page 66
Business leaders everywhere are asking, What is the future of the Internet economy? Good question. But here's a better one: Are you tapping the real power of the Net to transform your company here and now? For leaders at Cisco, Intel, and Microsoft, the answer is a resounding "yes." Cheryl Dahle page 144
Craig Barrett won't let the slowdown in the semiconductor market stop his company's bid to be the world's number-one e-commerce player. Says the Intel CEO: "We almost couldn't help becoming an Internet company." Cheryl Dahle page 152
They have the technology: Using Internet-driven software, companies can now access up-to-the-minute sales and market data. Are they ready to flip the switch? George Anders page 158
First Adland fell in love with the Internet, and then the Internet crashed. Now both marketing and advertising have discovered the next big thing: ideas! John Ellis page 80
Interact with the companies whose products and services are advertised in Fast Company. Fast Company page 163
Online Highlights
(Web Exclusive)
Less Is More: 84 Ways to Cut Back and Stay Fast
10 Truths About Layoffs ... ... that your father never told you. Truth #1: There are worse things than losing a job -- like staying in a bad job for "security." Smart Ways to Land Your Next Gig The good news: You've found a good job in a company that's built to last. The bad news: Lots of others are jockeying for the same position. Here are strategies to help you stand apart while everyone else is standing around. Jennifer Reingold How to Move Forward When You're Between Jobs There are two ways to look at a period of unemployment: as desperate times that should end quickly, or as a chance to recharge your batteries and learn new skills. Savvy advice from Hope Dlugozima, author of Six Months Off: How to Plan, Negotiate, and Take the Break You Need Without Burning Bridges or Going Broke. Need we say more? Anni Layne
The outfit that Fred Smith built is built on speed. Can FedEx move even faster -- or is the company's growth in for a slowdown? Consult our A - Z Fast Companies directory.
Share on StumbleUpon
Share on LinkedIn