I am often asked how we choose who goes on Fast Company‘s cover. Why Kevin Durant or Shonda Rhimes? Why Chobani’s Hamdi Ulukaya or Microsoft’s Satya Nadella?
Our process is a complicated, often torturous one. We don’t make these decisions casually. Our specific parameters move over time, as market conditions do and to reflect the larger world around us. Yet our choices are also anchored by overarching editorial themes and our mission: to both prepare readers for the future and encourage them to shape that future.
What does that mean, practically? I’m going to share one specific example, using our newest cover story, about Pinterest. As you’ll see, many factors impact the decision.
Related: Pinterest Sees The Future