Back 2 Work

45: Finagling the Tree Bag

Topic: The Narcissism of Small Differences

44: Circuitous Bridge of My Own Design

Topic: Moving from dumb nouns to awesome verbs.

43: I Return Null

Topic: Asking questions in order to find better questions

42: Coconut Headphones

This week Dan and Merlin talk about asking good questions ...

This week Dan and Merlin talk about asking good questions instead of massaging your real problem until it fits the comforting solution you found on the cover of a magazine.

41: Carpal Tunnel Diem

Dan and Merlin talk more about why we get stuck ...

Dan and Merlin talk more about why we get stuck and how might re-think getting "unstuck." Looking at process over product, remembering how you got here, and getting clear about what you're really trying to make. Merlin also has some updates and tips

40: Dirty South Is Off the Menu

Dan and Merlin talk about what it means for Google ...

Dan and Merlin talk about what it means for Google to change the meaning of "plus," and how it might bolster the production of "stuff and needy." They also consider options for "getting unstuck" with a creative project—how, sometimes, the constraints c

39: A Source of Rice with Velocity

On strength and tolerance. Dan and Merlin talk about the ...

On strength and tolerance. Dan and Merlin talk about the many facets of strength, including the complexity of knowing what to be strong about, to whom, and when. It's about way more than nailing the "clean and jerk" or yelling at Sips-His-Coffee-Rea

38: Sorry. You Can't Have a Candle.

On improving presentation culture. Dan and Merlin talk about bombing ...

On improving presentation culture. Dan and Merlin talk about bombing the deck, advancing the slides, and striving to improve the self-perpetuating bad culture of presentations. Slide?!? (Also, kid germs in the spaghetti, meeting the angry corn gu

37: It's Never Not Everywhere

This week, Merlin loves and hates iCloud while loving and ...

This week, Merlin loves and hates iCloud while loving and REALLY loving Dropbox. He and Dan observe angry corn, discuss emailing files to yourself, wonder what to do with an ugly photo, and explore Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle.

36: Writing on the Wind

Merlin Mann talks with Dan Benjamin about his dogged obsession ...

Merlin Mann talks with Dan Benjamin about his dogged obsession with the flexibility of index cards—for propping up tables, giving very small cuts, and getting babies hygienically removed. Then, there is much talk of graphing your focal length against your