Nicholas Thompson - CEO of The Atlantic (50k American Record Holder) | The Simple Sport That Reveals Everything About You
Nicholas Thompson - CEO of The Atlantic (50k American Record Holder) | The Simple Sport That Reveals Everything About You
References & Resources
Books Mentioned
Key Topics
Companies & Organizations
A prominent American magazine and multi-platform publisher, where Nicholas Thompson serves as CEO.
A technology-focused magazine where Nicholas Thompson previously served as editor-in-chief, significantly boosting digital subscriptions.
The online platform for The New Yorker magazine, where Nicholas Thompson previously served as editor.
A content management system to which one of Thompson's co-founded tech ventures was sold.
A company to which one of Thompson's co-founded tech ventures was sold.
Show Notes
Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic, where he has led one of the most successful turnarounds in American media—achieving profitability, record subscriptions, and three Pulitzer Prizes since 2021. Previously editor-in-chief of Wired (where he boosted digital subscriptions nearly 300%) and editor of NewYorker.com, Thompson co-founded two tech ventures sold to WordPress and Amplica Labs, edited stories that became the Oscar-winning film Argo, and authored The Hawk and the Dove, hailed as "brilliant" by The Washington Post. An American record holder in the 50K run with 2 million social media followers, he embodies the intersection of editorial excellence, entrepreneurial vision, and athletic discipline—bringing the same relentless drive to building media companies as he does to distance running.
➡️ Talking Points
00:00 — Intro
01:31 — Why Running Is the Purest Sport
02:28 — The Challenge of Being Alone with Your Thoughts
04:44 — Discovering the Need for Solitude
11:52 — Running with Awareness, Not Just Discipline
14:42 — Living with Conflicting Personalities
19:27 — The Double-Edged Sword of Obsession
21:14 — How Cancer Changed His Perspective
43:29 — When Simplicity Becomes Profound
48:40 — Running as a High-Performer’s Edge
49:30 — Nicholas’ Wildest Running Story
53:22 — Running as a Multifaceted Tool
54:43 — The One Takeaway for Readers
55:11 — Advice to His 20-Year-Old Self