Derek Thompson

Why does it feel like we never have enough? Derek Thompson, bestselling author and Atlantic staff writer, says that our current policies and cultural attitudes have created a world of scarcity—scarce housing, scarce energy, scarce innovation. But scarcity isn’t inevitable. In this inspiring and actionable talk, Derek shows how we can flip the script, embracing bold policies and risk-taking strategies to create a future of abundance.

Drawing on his book Abundance (co-written with Ezra Klein), Derek explores how we can unlock extraordinary growth, build more affordable housing, transform energy infrastructure, and spark a new era of technological breakthroughs. He shares specific examples of how businesses and governments alike can make progress in leaps and bounds—if we dare.

Audiences leave with a renewed sense of hope, an excitement for the future, and a roadmap for taking meaningful action—whether at the policy level, in business, or as individuals—to create a world where there’s more than enough for everyone.

“When we look at generative AI, what are we actually looking at?” asks Derek Thompson. A bestselling author and staff writer at The Atlantic, Derek argues that although we may think we know what ChatGPT is, its full potential is so huge that we can’t even begin to grasp it yet. He draws on examples from history—the steam engine, the lightbulb, the Promethean rise of fire as a tool—to show how this technology will revolutionize how we play and work in ways that we can’t foresee.

Derek’s sharp eye and years of covering technology let him cut through the hype to offer a look at the reality and mind-expanding implications of this technology. For instance, he points out that although many of us are just using generative AI as a toy that can help us make art or music, its potential for play will also dramatically alter the way we work. With his signature curiosity and engaging style, Derek helps us understand the beginning stages of generative AI that we’re in right now, giving us a sense of where we’re going and what the future of AI may look like. “This thing is larval,” he says. “And it might become anything.”

Why do things become popular? Why do certain songs, apps, games, films, and cultural figures rise to blockbuster-levels of prominence, while others wither in obscurity? If you think the answer’s simple, think again—and start listening. In this absorbing keynote—based on his instant national bestseller Hit Makers—Derek Thompson reveals, for the first time, the complex blend of psychology, marketing, and economics that makes major hits take off.

This keynote is customizable to your industry—any industry. Derek shatters myths about quality and taste, reveals crucial insights into networks and audience, and traces popularity from our deepest human needs to the savviest of today’s media manipulators. With great energy and a fine sense of humor, Derek offers ideas you can use now to not only make great, lasting products, but products people hear about. Attention is our most valuable commodity—so don’t pass up his indispensable take on what we like, why we like it, and how culture actually happens.

In his prescient, national bestselling book Hit Makers, Derek Thomson predicted that the future of politics would be entertainment. Ever since then politics has become more and more like reality TV. With politician-obsessed media and media-obsessed politicians, the political realm seems to take after Hollywood and the world of entertainment. With the same clear-eyed insight that defined Hit Makers, Derek can show us how we got ourselves into this situation, and how we can still get ourselves out—back to a political system where our representatives forefront our best interests.