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Issue 92

March 2005

The Power Couple

  • How many great husband-and-wife business teams can you think of? Us neither. But Kate and Andy Spade have figured out how to make their unusual partnership work. They've built a fashion empire -- but can they make it last?

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Features

  • Lessons From the Fast 50 Winners

    Five key lessons from this year's 50 winners.

  • The Clear Leader

    Marcus Buckingham spent two decades studying great business leaders. His conclusion: True leaders have a unique ability to make things simple.

  • 20/20 Visionary
  • Building A Better Skunk Works

    In a bold effort to nurture new businesses, IBM is putting its best and brightest in charge of its risky startups.

  • How IBM Builds New Businesses
  • Jones Soda's Secret

    Peter van Stolk is getting people jonesin' for his soda by turning the brand over to them.

  • Jonesing for Soda
  • Building a Customer-Centric Brand
  • Happy Trails

    Does hiking and sleeping under the stars sound like a perfect vacation? For guidebook writer Johnny Molloy, it's just another day at the office.

  • Copy This

    Anne M. Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox, has the company cranking again. Here are her thoughts on changing an organization, taking risks, and telling stories

  • Fast Talk: Screen Gems

    Movies may be sheer entertainment for most of us, but for many passionate, creative people, they're also a lot of work. With Oscar season here, we turned to a cast of film-industry characters for fresh wisdom on managing teams, coping with rejection, and implementing the visions of others.

Now

  • First Kisses and Petri Dishes

    A Florida school is home to some of the smartest high-school science kids around.

  • Office Handbook

    Expense-account hell!

  • Trump, Distilled

    Love the Donald but can't spare time for The Apprentice? Then the official Apprentice talking Trump doll is for you! A full 12 inches tall, in a classic navy suit and trademark red tie, this $24.99 mini-Trump offers 17 memorable magnate witticisms -- which is all anyone really needs.

  • Best Business Blogs: Venture Capital

    An expanded list of our favorites.

  • Creature Comforts

    If Greyhound ever starts an airline, it'll have a service edge over the sky buses flying today. Instead of complaining about business travel, deal with it. Our new Road Warrior feature will help you do just that. In that spirit, pamper yourself instead of expecting the airlines to do it for you.

  • Net Profit

    What does it take to make a better bed net? It's no small matter: Bed nets are a critical defense against malaria, which each year kills 1 million people and makes another 300 million ill in developing regions. The solution, it turns out, is no small matter either.

  • Speak Easy

    Here are five tips to help you get over your fear of public speaking.

  • The Corporate Shrink

    The good doctor heals some hurt feelings over neglected -- and stolen -- ideas

  • 60 Seconds on Doing the Impossible

    SpaceShipOne took the $10 million Ansari X Prize for shuttling into suborbital space twice in two weeks. But it was Peter Diamandis, aerospace engineer and medical doctor, who created the competition. Now, Diamandis, 42, has moved onto smaller things -- a new prize for nanotechnology. He spoke to Fast Company about his uncharted worlds.

  • Humanizing Leaders

    Course: Proteus When: June 19-25, 2005 Instructor: Nigel Nicholson Class Size: Varies, around 24 Where: London Business School, England Cost: £8,000 (about $15,000 USD) Mission: To give execs time and space to refine leadership skills.

Next

  • Competing on Culture

    The CEO of Best Buy expands on Buckingham's vignette -- and how an employee-centric strategy can lead to customer-centric performance.

  • Short Circuit

    This month: W. Alan McCollough, CEO of Circuit City Stores.

  • How to Fix... ATT

    Now that ATT has abandoned consumer service, what will it do to get off the hook?

  • I Spy

    The newest Big Brother gizmo lets you track the movements of your kids or spouse.

  • Liquidity Events

    These days, for better or worse, everyone seems to be a blogger. How to know what's worth reading? This month, Fast Company unveils our top picks from the ever-expanding blog universe -- starting with the best from the world of venture capital.

  • "Don't Drink the Grape-Flavored Sugar Water..."

    The Consultant Debunkers find a certain saying hard to swallow.

  • Wagging Your Tail

    Executive recruiter Dave Hardie on the benefits of leaving gracefully, consumer-products experience, and balancing We versus I.

  • Full of Mullarkey

    We went looking for a guru with a fresh take, but got taken ourselves. It's about respect, yo!

  • Blog-N-Sell

    A marketing plan on the Web, by the Web, and for the Web.

  • The Morale of the Story

    Another day, another mountain to climb. Here's how to keep your team's spirits up (even when everything looks so hard).

  • Shore Leader: Sriram Ayer

    December's tsunami devastated villages across Asia. But in some places, it also created openings for progress.

  • Do You Love What You Do?

    If you're putting in 60- to 80-hour workweeks, you'd better love what you do.

  • Will It Edit Out ABBA?

    From cassette deck to hard drive.

  • Walking the Talk?

    Some U.S. execs make big noises about U.S. innovation -- but look overseas for new ideas.

  • Read Between the Lines

    We're all awash in books, blogs, and reports to keep up in our jobs. Can speed-reading software help us be more productive?

  • Like High School -- but With Suits

    Don't let your company's labels become the only way you define yourself.

  • A Matter of Taste

    New flavor enhancers due in 2006 promise to make your taste buds more efficient.

  • Datebook

    Critical calendar listings for March 2005.

Next

  • The Net/Net

    A go-to guide of the products and services featured in this month's issue.

  • Healthy Alternative

    A report from the past.

  • Me Inc.: the Rethink

    With our November 2005 issue, Fast Company will celebrate 10 years of publication. Each month until then, we'll review one of our favorite editions from the first decade.

From the Editor

  • Championing Innovation

    When we started planning what would become the fourth annual Fast 50 competition, we had two major ambitions: First, we wanted to assemble the most accomplished innovators and doers in the four-year history of our global readers' challenge. And we wanted to showcase those winners' passions, ideas, and performances in stories and pictures as compelling as the deeds themselves. The resulting package delivers on both goals.