Journalist, Substack
Derek Thompson is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Abundance and the founder of the Substack Derek Thompson, where he writes about issues ranging from the Anti-Social Century to how to make America a nation of abundance. He offers a fresh, sharp, and clear voice amidst the chaos of new technology and the changing world. He effectively dissects the biggest technological, economic, political, and cultural trends of the moment, and interprets what they might mean for our futures. Previously a staff writer at The Atlantic, Derek has earned a Best in Business Award for Columns and Commentary from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. “My job is to notice when I’m curious, and to notice when I’m confused, and to turn those noticings into words,” Derek says, “and to hope that people enjoy reading the crystallization of a quietly shared curiosity.”
In his latest book Abundance, the #1 New York Times bestseller co-written with fellow journalistic titan Ezra Klein, Derek shows us how we’ve fallen into a world where we feel like we never have enough—whether in housing, energy, workers, innovation, or progress—and offers a radical, hopeful new path towards a politics of plenty. He argues that the future is ours to build, if we’re willing to take a risk. Abundance debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and climbed to the top place, reaching #1 on Amazon’s #1 public policy and economics lists. It was featured across the media from The Atlantic to The New Yorker. In The New York Times, opinion columnist David Brooks writes that Derek and his co-author “inspire hope and enlarge the imagination by describing the good things that are actually within our grasp.” Financial Times calls Abundance “a forceful, quick-moving broadside” and “a worthy read,” while Kirkus, in a starred review, praises its “cogent, well-timed ideas for meeting today’s biggest challenges.” In talks, Derek draws on the book to apply its lessons across all industries (including yours), showing audiences how to shift their mindset, build for success, and spark extraordinary growth.
Derek’s hit podcast Plain English does precisely as the name promises. He breaks down the weekly headlines into plain English, cutting the misinformation and confusion. Work in Progress, Derek’s newsletter on work, technology, and how to solve some of America’s biggest problems, has attracted a large audience looking to get ahead and prepare for the future. In his landmark cover story “A World Without Work,” Derek offered a wide-ranging exploration of the future of artificial intelligence and employment, and how Americans might cope with a jobless future.
His previous release, On Work: Money, Meaning, Identity, is unique in its position. Spanning the history of labor and the future of work, Derek’s commentary and analysis made him a core voice in the conversation around work.
In his debut book Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction, Derek shows us why blockbuster success isn’t a matter of chance, but a fascinating intersection of power, network, science, art, and sheer brilliance—making some ideas disappear, and others explode. Since its release, Hit Makers has been hailed by critics as a “wonderful book … [filled with] solid research, ready wit, and catchy aphorisms” (USA Today) and “a fun, thought-provoking take on the strange turns of cultural fortune” (Publishers Weekly). Bestselling author Adam Alter says it’s “a bible for anyone who’s ever tried to promote practically anything, from products, people, and ideas, to books, songs, films, and TV shows.”