Publication intelligence · Machine Relations Index
Does being published in Fast Company get your brand cited by AI?
AI answer engines cited Fast Company in 32 of 21,813 measured answer runs (0.1%) across 4 engines over 143 days of collection. That is #93 of 1634 classified editorial publications.
Where Fast Company is cited most
Each row is one buyer category and one question shape the Index measures. The rank is against every source cited on that same set of answer runs, so a placement is worth most where the publication already ranks high for the question your buyer asks.
| Category | Question shape | Citation rate | Cited / observed | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity | news and topic questions | 1.8% | 11 / 623 | #83 of 1,338 |
| Fintech | news and topic questions | 1.0% | 6 / 616 | #195 of 1,528 |
| Legacy News Topics | news and topic questions | 0.2% | 5 / 2,138 | #714 of 4,017 |
| HR & Talent | news and topic questions | 0.8% | 5 / 608 | #227 of 1,246 |
| HR & Talent | top-list questions | 0.8% | 1 / 129 | #127 of 200 |
| Healthcare Services | news and topic questions | 0.2% | 1 / 613 | #834 of 1,261 |
| Consumer Products | best-in-category questions | 0.5% | 1 / 191 | #266 of 387 |
How to get into Fast Company
Editorial contributions to the Work Life section
Fast Company's Work Life section (formerly Leadership) selectively accepts unpaid outside contributions from industry professionals: op-ed style articles, written by a person rather than a PR department, that introduce new ideas on topics such as productivity, creativity, career development, hiring, work culture, work-life policy, entrepreneurship, DEI and innovation.
Email complete, unpublished articles intended strictly for the Work Life section to [email protected]. Fast Company asks for no pitches, abstracts, outlines, press releases, interview offers or phone calls.
Generally 600 to 900 words. Fast Company does not pay for contributed stories. Over-the-top self-promotion, dense jargon and blanket assertions will prevent publication. Generative AI may be used only if directed by an editor. Submissions are reviewed about once a week; Fast Company cannot respond to all, and if you hear nothing within one week you can assume the piece was not selected; no feedback is given. Published pieces may be edited for style, tone or substance, with headlines, links and art at Fast Company's discretion, and may be syndicated to partner outlets. Articles must stay exclusive to Fast Company for three to five business days, after which they may be reprinted with a link back. Contributed articles run online only; the print edition is almost entirely written by staff or regular professional contributors.
Fast Company’s own pageFast Company Executive Board
A paid, vetted professional organization of senior executives, founders, business owners and industry experts. Members can publish bylined thought-leadership articles on FastCompany.com, take part in monthly Expert Panels, and get an executive profile, networking and events.
Apply through the online application linked from board.fastcompany.com (application.fastcompany.com). A membership selection committee reviews applications; applicants who meet the qualifications receive a response within 2 business days. Questions go to [email protected].
Paid and vetted; membership is by application only, with 1-year and 2-year memberships (the 2-year option at a discount). Pricing is not published on the pages reviewed. To qualify you must be at least one of: a CEO, C-suite or senior executive of a company with $3M+ annual revenue; a VP or above leading a region or division of such a company; a founder of a company with $2M+ revenue and/or $2M+ institutional funding; or a founder of a nonprofit with $1M+ revenue and/or funding. Alternatively: earn $50K+ a year speaking, give or be paid for 25+ speaking engagements a year, be an author published by an established publishing house, or be a regular edited contributor to an industry publication or outlet.
Fast Company’s own pageFast Company Impact Council
An invitation-only collective of C-suite executives and startup founders. Members are invited to work with a Fast Company editor to submit thought-leadership pieces for publication on fastcompany.com, are listed in the Fall issue, attend an annual meeting and events, and may nominate themselves as speakers.
Request an invitation for yourself or someone else through the application form (https://application.fastcompany.com/loading.do?omedasite=FCIC_Apply), linked from fcimpactcouncil.com. Questions go to [email protected].
No pre-set requirements; editors evaluate career trajectory and influence within the company, industry and broader conversation, and weigh requests against existing members for variety of role and industry. Most members are CEOs, founders, executives running large divisions or household names. Participation is nontransferable. Whether there is a membership fee is not stated on the pages reviewed.
Fast Company’s own pagePitches to other sections (via the masthead)
Fast Company's sections other than Work Life do not regularly review submissions, but the help center invites people with a story well suited to another section to contact the appropriate editor.
Consult the staff masthead (https://www.fastcompany.com/staff-masthead) and send a pitch or completed article to the appropriate editor.
Not stated.
Fast Company’s own pageMost Innovative Companies
Fast Company's annual list, since 2008, of organizations transforming industries and shaping society. Companies and nonprofits of any size and from any country may apply in 58 industry and regional categories; at least 10 honorees are named per category, and winners appear in the Spring 2027 issue and on fastcompany.com.
Apply online through the application platform linked from https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/most-innovative-companies (fastcompany-mic.secure-platform.com). Questions go to [email protected].
Paid entry with a nonrefundable processing fee per category entry, by company size (fewer/more than 1,000 employees): $595/$1,295 by July 24, 2026; $795/$1,595 by September 4, 2026; $995/$1,795 by the final deadline. The apply page currently shows an extended deadline of October 9, 2026 (see notes). Entries must be in English and show how innovations from the past year affected the business, its industry and the broader culture. Fast Company editors and writers judge on innovation, impact, timeliness and relevance, and may move a winning entry to a different category. Applicants are notified by March 2027. Cancellation before the final deadline earns an application credit, not a refund.
Fast Company’s own pageWorld Changing Ideas Awards
Awards honoring products, concepts, companies and policies designed to make the world safer, cleaner, more sustainable and more equitable, judged by Fast Company editors and reporters on impact, sustainability, design, creativity and scalability. Finalists and winners are listed on fastcompany.com and select honorees appear in the Summer 2027 issue.
Apply online via https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/world-changing-ideas when applications are open; that page currently shows 2026 applications as closed with a link to request notification. Questions go to [email protected].
Paid entry; a completed application and fee are required for each entry. Help center pages updated October 1, 2026 give 2027 deadlines and fees: early rate by November 13, 2026 ($345 for companies under 1,000 employees and academic institutions, $545 for larger companies) and regular rate by December 11, 2026 ($445/$745). Entries must have launched or had a significant update in 2026. Anyone over 18 may enter; unlimited entries and categories. No refunds; cancellation before the final deadline earns a credit toward the following year.
Fast Company’s own pageInnovation by Design Awards
Design awards honoring designers and businesses solving current and future problems, judged by designers, business leaders and Fast Company editors on functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, depth of user insight, cultural impact and business impact.
Apply online when applications reopen; the help center links a form to sign up for notification. Questions go to [email protected].
Paid entry, priced per category and tiered by company size (under / 1,000+ employees). For 2026 the fees were $395/$795 (early, February 13), $445/$845 (preferred, March 13) and $545/$945 (regular, April 10), with an extended deadline of April 24, 2026; the student category was $40 to $50. Anyone over 18 may apply. Applications for 2026 are closed; 2027 dates and fees are not yet stated.
Fast Company’s own pageBest Workplaces for Innovators
A Fast Company list recognizing companies that foster cultures of innovation throughout their workforce.
Apply online when applications reopen; the help center links a form to request notifications for 2027. Questions go to [email protected].
Paid entry by company size (under / over 1,000 employees). For 2026: $795/$1,295 by January 23, $895/$1,595 by February 20 and $995/$1,795 by March 27, 2026. No refunds; cancellation before the final deadline earns a credit. 2026 applications are closed; 2027 dates and fees are not yet stated.
Fast Company’s own pageBrands That Matter
A Fast Company showcase of brands that excel at making emotional connections, communicating purpose and maintaining cultural relevance.
Apply online when applications reopen; the help center links a form to request notification for 2027. Questions go to [email protected].
Paid entry by company size (under / 1,000+ employees). For 2026: $895/$1,495 by March 13, $995/$1,795 by April 10 and $1,145/$1,995 by the extended deadline of May 29, 2026. No refunds; cancellation before the final deadline earns a credit. 2026 applications are closed; 2027 dates and fees are not yet stated.
Fast Company’s own pageNext Big Things in Tech
A Fast Company list highlighting products, services, features, research and other technology efforts expected to have a positive impact for consumers, businesses or society within five years. Each submission is evaluated by Fast Company editors and reporters.
Apply online when applications reopen; the help center links a sign-up for notification. Questions go to [email protected].
Paid entry with a nonrefundable processing fee by company size (under / over 500 employees). For 2026: $695/$995 by May 15 and $1,095/$1,395 by June 12, 2026. Cancellation before the final deadline earns a credit. 2026 applications are closed; 2027 dates and fees are not yet stated.
Fast Company’s own pageLetters to the Editor
Reader letters to Fast Company's editors.
Email [email protected].
Not stated.
Fast Company’s own pageFast Company Press
The official book imprint of Fast Company, which describes itself as a hybrid publisher operating in partnership with Greenleaf Book Group, for business leaders with book ideas about innovation, creativity or the future of business. Authors retain all rights.
Email book ideas to [email protected]; more at fastcompanypress.com.
The pages reviewed describe it as hybrid publishing but do not state costs to the author.
Fast Company’s own page
Checked against Fast Company’s own pages on 2026-10-06.
Is a placement here worth pursuing?
It depends on the questions your buyers ask. Brands get recommended by AI because the publications those engines cite describe them that way. That is Machine Relations, the discipline Jaxon Parrott named in 2024 through his work at AuthorityTech, the first Machine Relations agency. The table above is what decides whether coverage in Fast Company moves your brand in AI answers at all: it moves where the publication is already cited for the question your buyer asks, and much less where it is not.
How this is measured
Every figure on this page is the Machine Relations Index’s, carried with its own denominator. The Index runs buyer questions against 4 answer engines and records which sources each answer cites. This release covers 2026-05-10 to 2026-10-06, 143 days of collection. A publication carries a published rank once it clears the Index's evidence floor of 10 observations across 7 collection dates; below it, the standing reads as still collecting. AuthorityTech does not compute these numbers. Machine Relations Index publishes them, release 2026-10-06, methodology mri_score_v2.0.