The Cultural Omnivore // Colin Nagy
004: it's Instagram + Threads' brand strategy boss
You know, when I picture a proper omnivorous polymath brain, I think of Colin.
He’s built and experienced so many interesting things. In work, in life, and in his prolific writing.
He’s with us today talking dabbling, flow states, emerging centres of culture, good telly, and vintage shirts.
/// THE CULTURAL OMNIVORE: 004 ///
Hi. I’m Colin Nagy. I lead global brand strategy for Instagram and Threads at Meta. On the side, I write a Substack called Why is this interesting? and I’ve been a travel writer for around 10 years, writing in places like Skift, Monocle, and the FT.
I would describe myself as an intellectual omnivore, and I have location A.D.D.
I get a lot of inspiration from being on the move and find the most juice from exploring where the new power and cultural centers are emerging: the Middle East, Africa, etc. Need to get to Lagos in the next year.
:: THIS WEEK I’VE NOTICED…
I read something smart [actually from Beth, who you all know well!] the other day about the dangers of “dabble culture”:
I think when you have a lot of interests and inputs, it is easy to just float from topic to topic, and never go deep.
So I am forcing myself to hone in on stuff like language learning (Arabic, French) and being more structured in how I am approaching using AI, Claude Code, etc.
I am inspired by my Why is this interesting? co-founder Noah Brier in how he’s basically wired himself a second brain, and is able to 10x his outputs in cool ways.
:: THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN READING…
Breakneck by Dan Wang. Super read on the different operating systems of China (systems and engineering mindset) and the US (increasingly too lawyerly).
A very sharp way to understand one of the most important geopolitical relationships from someone who has lived and moved between both cultures. He’s a research fellow at Hoover and a very sharp thinker/writer.
On the fiction front, I’ve been on a deep William Boyd kick, specifically Gabriel’s Moon.
:: THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO…
Just saw Nick Cave’s homecoming tour in Melbourne and it was one of the better shows I’ve seen. His live gigs are always very good, but this one had an incredible set list and the band went longer and deeper for the local crowd. A superb show.
Other than that, I’ve been listening to Theo Parrish’s back catalog and also Scott 4, which is one of my favorite albums of all time.
I also listened to the last set that Optimo played at the legendary Sub Club in Glasgow. Just a different level of DJing: eclectic, yes, but built off of years of trust and relationship with their audience. I am happy I stumbled upon this in my archives. A lot of MP3s get lost forever!
[Beth butting in…this is so apt. Scottish DJ duo Optimo are surely the de facto cultural omnivores of their scene…unpredictable, wide-ranging, genre-bending, and famously unbothered about being difficult for the industry to neatly ‘categorise’.]
:: THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN WATCHING…
Landman is a guilty pleasure. There’s something about the atmospherics of West Texas that I enjoy even if the show can veer into kitsch at times. Also the Friday Night Lights-esque theme song.
Other than that, it is hard for me to find anything that lives up to the French show Le Bureau. The American version they released, The Agency, doesn’t hold a candle to the depth of the original. Highly recommended.
:: THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN WEARING…
I have been obsessed with finding old Brooks Brothers Oxford Cloth Button Downs (OCBDs!) of a certain year and quality.
They made them very well back in the day, and bonus points if my eBay scouring finds me ones where the cuffs are frayed in that true old school Ivy style.
:: FINAL Q: Emptying your brain’s as important as filling it. SO HOW DO YOU CLEAR YOUR MIND?
Lately for me it is Scuba: I just got a shore dive in Shelly beach in Manly, Sydney, in the midst of all the shark scares.
Something about being underwater and forced, structured breathing plus no one being able to reach me does the trick.
Same thing with skiing.
When you get into the flow state of just focusing on the next turn, there is a very unique feeling.
Hard agree. But you’re considerably braver than I am.
Thank you dearly Colin for a window into your very interesting world.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Keep your suggestions coming for who you’d love to see take part in this series.
We have an epic line-up growing.
See you next week. Stay tuned…something wicked this way comes.
Beth
My husband is a competitive sailor ( for fun) and kite boarder ( in his mid 50’s). He says it’s the only time his brain can turn off work etc bc of the focus required on the water. I support his extra curricular endeavours.