“The first sentence is the most important sentence.”
In Depth recently spoke with Joel about his current projects, collaborating with his colleagues and the overall challenges he faces in writing about such a wide range of topics.
What’s the most interesting part about what you do?
I’ve always enjoyed working on magazines because the format challenges you to think outside the box. It’s about the words, yes, but usually the visuals are just as important — often more so.
You’ve worked on stories that have covered a range of topics — bitcoin, vintage cars, hacking, ETFs. How do you find your stories and how do you decide what to write about?
One thing I really enjoy about my job is how collaborative it is. Every issue of every magazine begins as a series of blank white pages. We can do almost anything we want with those pages, and obviously we strive to make the best possible product with every issue. My team — and Bloomberg as a whole — happens to be blessed with a lot of talented minds. Almost every story I’ve worked on here has started as a kernel of an idea and then turned into something more by talking it through with my colleagues.
Who has been your favorite person/topic to write about recently?
We dedicated our October issue to innovation in finance. That’s a really interesting topic right now because there’s so much disruption.
Have there been any stories at Bloomberg you have been particularly proud of?
I wrote about the Wall Street Decathlon for our first-ever “Rivalry Issue” this summer. Going into this year’s contest, the same two guys had finished first and second multiple times. It was a friendly rivalry, but they both took it very seriously…so much so that the perennial runner-up was doing cardio with an oxygen-restricting mask, which intensified his training by mimicking high altitudes.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten when it comes to your industry?
The first sentence is the most important sentence.