Back to Work

Topic: Asking questions in order to find better questions

This week, Dan and Merlin pick up their discussion of asking better questions and how sometimes the point of asking a question isn't to get an answer, but to get another, even better question.

How do you do this? Blundell Chains, hypotheses, the clackity noise, and iteration.

Links for this episode:

• [SPONSOR] TextExpander (coupon code: LASTCHANCE)
  
• [SPONSOR] Squarespace (offer code: `fineformerlin`)
  
• 5by5 | Back to Work #42: Coconut Headphones
  
• Adam Lisagor – interview by Merlin Mann
  
• Visual Customization | Squarespace Help & Support
  
• Advanced Customization | Squarespace Help & Support
  
• Roderick on the Line - Merlin's new podcast Dan won't listen to.
  
• kung fu grippe - Check out TextExpander’s new “Fill” functionality....
  
• Amazon.com: The Essential Don Murray: Lessons from America's Greatest Writing Teacher (9780867096002): Donald M. Murray, Thomas Newkirk, Lisa C. Miller: Books
  
• Amazon.com: A Writer's Coach: The Complete Guide to Writing Strategies That Work (9781400078691): Jack R. Hart: Books
  
• Amazon.com: Spot Bakes a Cake (9780399227011): Eric Hill: Books
  
• kung fu grippe - I got the “Spot” cake No words.
  
• The Man Who Sold the World (song) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Hüsker Dü - "New Day Rising"
  
• kung fu grippe - Return of Humanity Horse Still brutal. ...
  
• JYI.org :: The Psychology of Time
  
• More of Jack Hart’s practical writing tips for authors, from A Writer’s Coach: The Complete Guide to Writing Strategies That Work
  
• Getting Into the Writing Game, With Words of Advice From a Coach | Special English | Learning English
  
• kung fu grippe - Appreciating Donald Murray
  
• kung fu grippe - Making the Clackity Noise
  
• kung fu grippe - Questions, questions 43 Folders - “Makebelieve...
  
• Video: Merlin's Time & Attention Talk (Improvised Rutgers Edition) | 43 Folders
  
• Examples - Squarespace
  
• kung fu grippe - Sample Blundell Chain Super-useful. (Featured...
  

Sponsored by Sponsor 5by5, Smile, and Squarespace.

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.

Links for this episode:

• Macworld Check your music's iCloud Status | Music and Audio
  
• MacSparky - Blog - Macworld 2012 - Rob Corddry and a Magic Show 
  
• The Mountain Goats - "This Year" (2005)
  
• Lyrics: The Mountain Goats - "This Year"
  
• [SPONSOR}: Squarespace.com (offer code = `soangry`)
  
• Publication bias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• As Dutch Research Scandal Unfolds, Social Psychologists Question Themselves - Research - The Chronicle of Higher Education
  
• Thinking, Fast and Slow - FT.com
  
• Arrow’s other theorem « Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science
  
• How to upgrade tracks to iTunes Match, fast | Macworld
  
• Five terrible fake AC/DC songs about how hard it is to be in a band « 5ives
  
• Earth-616 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• kung fu grippe: "…And Snacks"
  
• Jack Cheng
  
• Give Me Something To Read
  
• Longreads: The best long-form stories on the web
  
• file-drawer effect - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com
  
• Magical thinking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Cargo cult - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Cold reading - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Official Web Site of The Secret and The Power
  
• The Secret (book) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Ghost in the Machine (The Police album) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science - Atlantic Mobile
  
• Sophie's Choice (1982)
  
• The Greatest Salesman in the World - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Zig Ziglar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Category:Self-help books - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• kung fu grippe - Degrees of Gray in Philipsburg by Richard Hugo ...
  
• Bank of America hires Malcolm Gladwell to attract small business clients | The Raw Story
  
• A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• André Breton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• 5by5 | After Dark #60: After Back To Work #42
  
• VIDEO: Makebelieve Help, Old Butchers, and Figuring Out Who You Are (For Now) [43 Folders]
  
• kung fu grippe - Questions, questions 43 Folders - “Makebelieve...
  
• kung fu grippe
  

Sponsored by Sponsor 5by5, Reinvigorate, and Squarespace.

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 for your iTunes Matching and your Google searching.

Links for this episode:

• The Great Style Revival - Blog - The Official Squarespace Blog
  
• Search using your terms, verbatim - Inside Search
  
• Captain Beefheart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• 5by5 | Hypercritical #42: The Wrong Guy
  
• The Metamorphosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Elizabeth Gilbert's official website
  
• KeyBindings: new, improved
  
• Marked scripts: nvALT, Evernote, MarsEdit, Scrivener - Brett Terpstra
  
• Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity | Video on TED.com
  
• Sestina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Ballpark Seating Chart | SFGiants.com: Ballpark
  
• Castilian Spanish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• [SPONSOR] Squarespace.com
  
• One Hundred Years of Solitude - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• About a little thing called 750 Words
  
• Amazon.com: Captain Beefheart: The Biography (9780815411901): Mike Barnes: Books
  
• The Stranger (novel) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Amazon.com: Steve Jobs (9781451648539): Walter Isaacson: Books
  
• Thinking, Fast and Slow - FT.com
  
• IMG: Smart Playlist for troubleshooting iTunes Match errors
  
• How to write a book, part 2 « Scott Berkun
  
• (Planet Money) The Giant Pool of Money | This American Life
  
• Check your music's iCloud Status | Macworld
  
• Amazon.com: Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction (0790145196705): Steve McConnell: Books
  
• Amazon.com: Led Zeppelin III: Led Zeppelin: MP3 Downloads
  
• Amazon.com: The Uncanny X-Men: An Origin Story (9781423142997): Rich Thomas, Storybook Art Group: Books
  
• Amazon.com: Uncanny X-Men Omnibus (v. 1) (9780785121015): Chris Claremont, Len Wein, Dave Cockrum, John Byrne: Books
  
• Pocket Full of Kryptonite - Spin Doctors | AllMusic
  
• Fingertips - TMBW: The They Might Be Giants Knowledge Base
  
• Macworld '12 - "40 OS X Tips in 40 Minutes" - David Sparks, Brett Terpstra, Merlin Mann
  
• Dusty Rhodes (wrestler) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Championship Wrestling from Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• kung fu grippe - Making the Clackity Noise
  
• Anti-pattern - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  

Sponsored by Reinvigorate, Sponsor 5by5, and Squarespace.

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 can help a lot more than the options.

Links for this episode:

• Code Library - Squarespace Code Library
  
• [SPONSOR] Squarespace.com (offer code: `soangry`)
  

Sponsored by Squarespace.

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-Really-Loud Guy. It's also about accepting all the things they just can't stand about you.

Also covered: the inescapability of Italian disco, maintaining an unassailable lawn, confronting skinny ladies in heels, negotiating D-minus hip-hop, and finding the will to spelunk all the way down the personal productivity stack.

Links for this episode:

• GarageBand for iOS goes universal, adds new features | Macworld
  
• @hotdogsladies: "Watched a homeless guy throw fried rice at a pigeon for an hour. Would've left sooner but having an audience made them both try WAY harder."
  
• Ted (ted) on Twitter
  
• Roderick On The Line - a set on Flickr (Ted's awesome Roderick on the Line art)
  
• Giorgio Moroder ? Chase (theme from Midnight Express) - YouTube
  
• Giorgio Moroder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Giorgio Moroder Discography at Discogs
  
• Clean and jerk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Priapism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Abilify Side Effects | Drugs.com
  
• Parrhesia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Slaughterhouse-Five: "Vy you? Vy anybody?"
  
• kung fu grippe - Plastic Dim Sum Thingee (from the artist’s...
  
• [SPONSOR] Squarespace (use coupon code: `soangry`)
  
• Prolapse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Celebration, Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Lil Wayne - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Metallica - Fade to Black (1985)
  

Sponsored by Bare Bones and MailChimp.

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 guy, and moving closer to the metal with our Showbot hero.)

Links for this episode:

• Jeremy Mack (mutewinter) on Twitter
  
• Kurtis Beavers Illustration
  
• Turtle Log | A Programmer Blog
  
• Anapanasati - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• [SPONSOR] Squarespace.com (use coupon code `merlinlovesus`)
  
• In which Crabby learns The Angry Dancing Corn is called, "Cornzilla" | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
  
• Amazon.com: Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire (Bpg-Other) (9780735620520): Cliff Atkinson: Books
  
• Amazon.com: Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (9780321525659): Garr Reynolds: Books
  
• kung fu grippe - No pressure or anything.
  
• kung fu grippe - Prepping my “slides”
  
• Cedilla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• 43f Podcast: John Gruber & Merlin Mann's Blogging Panel at SxSW
  
• Video: Merlin's Time & Attention Talk (Improvised Rutgers Edition)
  
• Scared Shitless
  
• Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain on Vimeo
  
• [Merlin's Remote] Targus Multimedia Presentation Remote | AMP09US
  
• App Store - Presentation Clock
  
• How I Made My Presentations a Little Better
  
• kung fu grippe - How my weird brain works If you’re curious—and...
  
• Sample: Presenter Mode
  
• Video: Merlin's Macworld '09 Talk, "Toward Patterns for Creativity" - Merlin's Media - Video, Audio, Photos and More - Merlin Mann
  
• 2 types of stories "1. Hero goes on a journey 2. Stranger comes to town."
  
• The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Webstock '11: Tom Coates - Everything the Network Touches on Vimeo
  
• Amazon.com: A Writer's Coach: An Editor's Guide to Words That Work (9780375423277): Jack R. Hart: Books
  
• Viddler.com - Merlin Mann - Worst Website Ever - SXSW 2008 - Uploaded by rooreynolds
  
• Business is Rockin | Stock Photo | iStockphoto.com
  
• Countryman Associates, Inc.
  
• Presentation Zen
  

Sponsored by Squarespace and TinyLetter.

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.

Links for this episode:

• Apple - iCloud stores your content and pushes it to your devices.
  
• TextExpander: Mac Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You Time!
  
• The Setup
  
• Dropbox: The Inside Story Of Tech's Hottest Startup - Forbes
  
• DropDAV: Home
  
• Instapaper 4: Deciding to Read | 43 Folders
  
• The Combine 2011 - Eventbee
  

Sponsored by Sponsor 5by5, Smile, and Squarespace.

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 time and attention.

Links for this episode:

• The Dan Patrick Show | Official Home
  
• 43f Podcast: John Gruber & Merlin Mann's Blogging Panel at SxSW | 43 Folders
  
• kickingbear» Blog Archive » About Steve
  
• Anne Lamott on index cards | 43 Folders
  
• Richard Stallman Eats Something From His Foot - YouTube
  
• New Podcast: "Roderick on the Line" - John Roderick and Merlin Mann
  
• Scared Shitless | 43 Folders
  
• Geena Davis - The Fly - YouTube
  
• Introducing the Hipster PDA | 43 Folders
  
• Mole (unit) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• kung fu grippe - Synecdoche, New York - Official Trailer I...
  
• This explains everything | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
  
• Armand Van Helden - Hear My Name - YouTube
  
• gladwell dot com - the social life of paper
  
• Make Magazine: "Death to Paper! Long Live Paper!"
  
• Video: Merlin's Macworld '09 Talk, "Toward Patterns for Creativity" - Merlin's Media - Video, Audio, Photos and More - Merlin Mann
  
• Steve Jobs: a personal remembrance
  
• Daring Fireball: Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot
  
• A Strange Sort of Prison, a Strange Sort of Freedom
  
• Passenger 57 (1992) - IMDb
  
• Hype Williams videography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Amazon: "The Creative Habit" by Twyla Tharpe
  
• [SPONSOR] - Squarespace - Build a Website, Create a Blog (coupon code: "`MerlinLovesUs`")
  
• [SPONSOR] - Byword • A Simple Text Editor for Mac
  
• [SPONSOR] - Byword on the Mac App Store
  
• Stallman: "Steve Jobs, the pioneer of the computer as a jail made cool, designed to sever fools from their freedom, has died."
  
• [SPONSOR] - Adding an Audio Podcast | Squarespace Help & Support
  
• 5by5 | 5by5 Specials #2: Thank You, Steve Jobs
  
• Joe Mande - R.I.P. The Andy Rooney Game
  
• My Neighbor, Steve Jobs - Palo Alto, CA Patch
  
• What if the Secret to Success Is Failure? - NYTimes.com
  
• Focal length - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Should I Email Marco Arment? — Please don't email me.
  
• 43 Folders: Thanks, Steve
  
• No One Needs Permission to Be Awesome | 43 Folders
  
• Classic Hype Williams Video: "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check" by Busta Rhymes
  
• Marked: MultiMarkdown preview, everywhere
  
• nvALT 2.1 - Notational Velocity Fork
  
• Markdown Service Tools - Brett Terpstra
  
• 5by5 | The Talk Show #60: I Tip Profusely
  

Sponsored by Sponsor 5by5, Byword, and Squarespace.

How to handle job interviews.

Merlin and Dan can't solve the problem of interviews being dumb, but Merlin will tell you what is wrong with you, how long you'll have to wait for your resume to get you a job, how Larry Wall interviews for a Perl job, and whether or not the answer is always Yes, like they were just telling Stephen (yes, Hawking).

Links for this episode:

• Seduction community - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Merlin's Talk: "With All Due Respect to the Seduction Community"
  
• Larry Wall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Twitter / @hotdogsladies: "You guys know if there's any Monopoly Guy/Sir Topham Hatt slash fiction?"
  
• Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Catering
  
• Blackjack Classroom
  
• Serial position effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Amazon.com: What Color Is Your Parachute? 2011: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers (9781580082709): Richard N. Bolles: Books
  
• JobHuntersBible.com:
  
• Résumé of Merlin Mann (10/2000)
  
• Alexandre Dumas, père - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Alexandre Dumas, fils - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Category:Candy bars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Résumé of Dan Benjamin (06/2001)
  
• Awesome B2W-related sketchbook drawing. So great.
  
• kung fu grippe - You stay classy, Marriott
  
• KeyBinding madness - Brett Terpstra
  
• Siracusa said so. - Actual quotes, complaints, and wise sayings from John Siracusa as heard on 5by5's entertaining Hypercritical broadcast.
  
• Sales Representative at 5by5 Studios ~ Authentic Jobs
  
• Good Will Hunting - Funny Job Interview (Ben Affleck) - YouTube
  
• Viddler.com - Merlin Mann - Worst Website Ever - SXSW 2008 - Uploaded by rooreynolds
  
• Quote Details: Woody Allen: Eighty percent of success... - The Quotations Page
  
• Aphasia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Tumblr
  

Sponsored by Sourcebits and Sifter.

How to say "no."

Merlin talks with Dan about saying No to toilet paper diamonds, mints on pillows, and things you don't have the wallet for instead of saying Yes to a crate of bananas you don't have enough information about or giving a qualified Yes to planning Christmas parties you don't have any interest in.

Links for this episode:

• THE SHINING (1979) analysis by Rob Ager
  
• Amazon.com: Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy (9780385531733): Martin Lindstrom: Books
  
• 5by5 | Hypercritical #34: Pride in Craftsmanship
  
• Cognitive dissonance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• How Whole Foods "Primes" You To Shop | Fast Company
  

Sponsored by HelpSpot and Rackspace.