Code and Theory Partners with Josh Topolsky to Launch 'Input'
Code and Theory partners with BDG and Josh Topolsky to launch Input
Code and Theory partnered with Bustle Digital Group (BDG) and Input Editor in Chief Josh Topolsky to launch Input, a new tech-focused consumer publication. The site’s design and user experience aim to drive deeper brand interaction and support a shift in publishing monetization.
Input is Topolsky and Code and Theory’s sixth collaboration, building on prior work including Engadget and BDG’s Inverse—signaling a proven partnership behind the new launch.
“I've spent literally a decade partnering with Code and Theory to move storytelling in journalism forward, and they have been astounding collaborators.”
BDG Global Portfolio and Reach
Bustle Digital Group (BDG) is one of today’s leading, global media companies with a portfolio of distinct digital and experiential brands that are shaping culture. Over 82 million readers turn to our brands - Bustle, Elite Daily, Flavorpill Media, Inverse, Mic, NYLON, Romper, The Outline, and The Zoe Report – to hear from a set of diverse voices around the issues and interests engaging the next generation. BDG is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, and London.
Across its portfolio, BDG brings together editorial storytelling and experiences designed to meet audiences where they are, spanning both digital and experiential brands. That mix supports a wide range of coverage and formats while keeping the focus on culture and the conversations shaping it.
With a global readership and teams based in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London, BDG’s brands are positioned to reflect a broad set of perspectives. The result is a network built to engage the next generation through distinct voices and coverage across the issues and interests they care about.
Design-led, audience-first experiences for Input
Code and Theory partnered with BDG and Josh Topolsky to bring Input to life, collaborating closely from the earliest stages of the launch. Together, the teams aligned on the vision for a new kind of publication and worked through the strategy, design, and build as a single effort, keeping the focus on what Input needed to be from day one.
As the collaboration took shape, the work centered on translating that shared point of view into an experience that could support the publication’s voice and ambitions at launch. Josh Topolsky emphasized the intent behind the project, noting that “Input is a new kind of publication built for the future,” and the partnership was structured to ensure that idea carried through every decision.
Throughout the process, Code and Theory and BDG maintained a tight feedback loop to move quickly without losing clarity, balancing editorial goals with product execution. Reflecting on the collaboration, BDG shared that “Code and Theory was an essential partner in bringing Input to market,” underscoring how integrated the teams were as they pushed toward launch. In the end, the result was a cohesive debut that matched the original ambition, with Code and Theory adding that “we’re proud to have helped launch Input with BDG and Josh Topolsky.”
Past collaborations that built the partnership
Code and Theory and Topolsky previously collaborated for the relaunch of Engadget; the launch of Vox Media’s The Verge; the redesign of Bloomberg News and launch of Bloomberg Politics; and the creation and launch of The Outline.
Topolsky has a long track record of shaping influential digital brands, including the Engadget relaunch, the launch of The Verge, the Bloomberg News redesign, the launch of Bloomberg Politics, and the creation and launch of The Outline. That experience helped inform Input’s approach to storytelling, audience engagement, and platform strategy.
Together, the teams developed Input’s identity and digital platform with an emphasis on speed, clarity, and flexibility—supporting a newsroom workflow while delivering a distinctive, responsive experience for readers across devices.
About the Code and Theory Network
The Code and Theory Network is the only network with a balance of 50% creative and 50% engineers at scale. The technology and creative network within Stagwell Group is built to experience change for businesses that need to navigate the complexity of changing consumer behaviors, emerging technologies and AI. With a global footprint and the capabilities to work across the entire consumer journey, we crave the hardest problems to solve. The network includes the flagship agency Code and Theory as well as Kettle, instrument, Left Field Labs, Mediacurrent, Rhythm and Truelogic. Code and Theory clients include Amazon, Apple, JPMorgan Chase, Mayo Clinic, Microsoft, NFL, Pfizer and Yeti.
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newbiz@codeandtheory.comCode and Theory is a proud member of Stagwell Group. Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com
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