Fits + Starts

By Daniel Coulbourne & John Drexler

Technology Comedy Business

What's Fits + Starts about?

Daniel and John are just past the beginning of their careers, and they're trying to figure out how to do their work well, how to find meaning in the work they produce, and how to stay sane in the process. They both work in the tech industry - Daniel on the programming side, and John on the finance / marketing side.

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LAST EPISODE

30: Meritocracy ++

07.25.2018

We like Notion (sort of), Daniel hates Basecamp, and John is prototyping board games. Then Daniel lays out his unified field theory of software engineering and pounds the table for collective bargaining.

Fits + Starts episodes:

07.25.2018 30: Meritocracy ++ We like Notion (sort of), Daniel hates Basecamp, and John is prototyping board games. Then Daniel lays out his unified field theory of software engineering and pounds the table for collective bargaining.
02.14.2018 29: Ominous death clock In our season finale, we talk about time and attention. Daniel takes John to task about whether or not time exists. And then we talk about ego. We'll be back with Season 4 soon!
01.24.2018 28: Heroic feats of workaholism (with Stephen Hackett) Relay.fm co-founder Stephen Hackett stops in to talk about the perils of finding personal identity in your work, whether or not it's important to "love" what you do, and the weird experience of having an emotional relationship with a corporation.
01.03.2018 27: Discipline December pt. 2 (with Caleb Porzio) This week we recap Discipline December. We talk discipline as a tool, the downside of letting fear motivate your work, and using experiments to diagnose your problems. Then John loses his mind over how much he loves “Holy Hour”.
12.20.2017 26: Ego depletion We return to form with this old school episode with no guest. John is having a hard time getting things done, and Daniel has ideas for how to help. We discuss working from home, making good check lists, slowing your ...
12.06.2017 25: Discipline December (with Caleb Porzio) Daniel is going to be disciplined for (almost) a whole month! This is a very meta episode: protestant work ethic, work habits, budgeting, food, exercise, checklists, tidying up, and more! Follow along with our progress in the link in the ...
11.22.2017 24: Many a hustle (with Michael Johnson) Long time friend Michael Johnson calls in for our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. We talk vlogging, managing multiple side hustles, unifying your life, finding identity, and living life without a calendar. Special Guest: Michael Johnson. Links: - [Patreon (Listener Support)](https://www.patreon.com/fitsandstarts "Patreon ...
11.08.2017 23: Total depravity (with Nancy French) 4-time NYT Best Selling Author Nancy French shares her thoughts on being a Conservative writer in the era of Trump. Nancy recently left the Republican party and faced harassment from the Alt-Right. We also get into the relationship between pop ...
10.25.2017 22: I call it poetry, you call it content (with Aaron Belz) John's cousin Aaron Belz drops by to talk about how businesses use language, the difference between students and young employees, how social media can shape the way people make creative stuff online, baseball, and more! Aaron is a poet and ...
10.11.2017 21: Thinking in public (with Mike Rugnetta) Mike Rugnetta drops some knowledge about how to improve internet discourse, maintaining a productive comment section, focusing on the right stuff, why people join internet communities, and what it means for something to "end" on the internet. Lastly, we get ...
08.02.2017 20: Talking about the show on the show We're about to take a short break! This episode is about where the show has been and where it is going. John sings the praises of incrementalism. Our list of dream guests is getting long. Links: - [Fits + Starts ...
07.19.2017 19: Idealogical Purity Ideas (with Brianna Wu) Brianna is running for Congress! She stops by to share her insights about the work of running a campaign, seeking to support people you don't agree with, and why Millennials need to take direct action instead of making symbolic political ...
07.05.2017 18: Eventually it sucks less (with Merlin Mann) Merlin stops by to talk about finding a job that fits you, prototyping your future, and manufacturing care. Then we have a lot of rapid fire questions for him. Special Guest: Merlin Mann. Links: - [Independent Writer, Speaker, and Broadcaster ...
06.21.2017 17: Make the Internet Better (with Anil Dash) Anil Dash (Founder / Writer / Speaker / Blogger / Preeminent force on the Internet) argues for a new definition of "open" on the web. We ask for advice on how to be more inclusive as a non-manager. Daniel has ...
06.07.2017 16: Six-month-ago You (with Adam Wathan) Programmer, author, and teacher Adam Wathan stops by to talk about working in public, asking stupid questions, charting a weird career path, and dropping knowledge on your peers. Hit us up on Twitter: Fits and Starts: @fits\_and\_starts Daniel: @dcoulbourne John: ...
05.24.2017 15: Bottle Episode We just saw each other in Chicago! John is a friend of Tighten.co. The show is changing. John is afraid that his life is too comfortable. Daniel thinks it's all about leaning into your fear. We think that Donald Trump ...
05.10.2017 14: Obvious Questions Without Obvious Answers (with Estelle Caswell) Along with our guest Estelle Caswell, we discuss Twitter, YouTube comments, and how to handle negative feedback (especially in public). Then we talk about that magical moment when your work becomes less scary to you. Finally, we talk about Kanye ...
04.26.2017 13: Motivating an Animal (with Matt Stauffer) Matt enumerates the differences between venture-backed and bootstrapped businesses. We discuss the difference between “useful” and “good” traits. Matt has some advice on how to talk about your strengths without sounding like a jerk, and then John meets a Titan ...
04.12.2017 12: Clearing Up Mindspace (with Jake Thomsen) Guest host Jake Thomsen explains the real meaning of great operations / processes. John tries (and fails) to apply economic ideas to his personal life. Daniel blows everyone's mind with some mysticism. And then Jake settles a long-standing debate about ...
03.29.2017 11: Everybody's My Boss (with Kelly Walker) We discuss the very gross, but very real idea of personal brands. Kelly and Daniel talk about the exhausting plight of the freelancer. We also discuss turning your passion into your career, and mindfulness practices. Hit us up on Twitter! ...
03.15.2017 10: Strapped to the Mast (with Zay Smallman) Along with our inaugural guest host Zay Smallman, we discuss who should and shouldn't take venture capital money, misadventures in Human Resources, and John takes Zay to task on strategy in the film industry. Zay is a co-founder at Fancy ...
02.23.2017 9: Expectations You're Not Entitled To We discus where the show is and where it's headed. John wonders about when the right time is to change careers. Daniel thinks it's important to check your entitlement. Then Daniel has some personal finance tips, and John buys a ...
02.08.2017 8: Maslow's Hierarchy of Goals We talk about growing out of being a slug-like process person. John claims erroneously to be a Californian. What does it take to claim that you've been to a state? John was late to recording this episode because he has ...
01.26.2017 7: Fix Your Pet Bug We talk about personality tests, and how they can guide your career path. Daniel is taken in by 16personalities.com. John wonders how to solve for his many shortcomings, and wonders if Daniel will be promoted to the level of his ...
01.11.2017 6: Too Proud to Touch the Monolith Daniel lays siege to Nevada. John has some existential dread about Apple. We discuss how to know when a project is working, and how to measure success. John has a great scam for Black Friday. Hit us up on Twitter! ...
12.28.2016 5: Closing the Gap The Greyhound bus system is a loosely held anarchy. Travel is insanity. It's hard to learn anything more from geniuses than how to hide your work. John moves back to the USA. Hit us up on Twitter! Fits and Starts ...
12.14.2016 4: Internet Civics We talk about working remotely, being a good citizen on the internet, and John's fridge. We appeal to your kind sensibilities to subscribe. Hit us up on Twitter! Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts Daniel - @dcoulbourne John - @johnrudolphdrex Links: ...
12.03.2016 3: Five Jobs and a Bunch of Dogwhistles We talk about the theoretical idea of a job and knowing what a job is like, our process of making the show. Hit us up on Twitter! Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts Daniel - @dcoulbourne John - @johnrudolphdrex Links: - ...
11.26.2016 2: Ducks in a Row We discuss getting your ducks in a row, the connection between mental hygiene and corporate culture, and the phenomenology of dogs. Hit us up on Twitter! Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts Daniel - @dcoulbourne John - @johnrudolphdrex Links: - [have ...
11.22.2016 1: Temporarily Embarrassed Millionaires We discuss the phenomenon of visionary bro culture. Daniel wonders about why helpful people are helpful. We get an unexpected update from a college friend. Hit us up on Twitter! Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts Daniel - @dcoulbourne John - ...
11.22.2016 0: Episode Zero We figure out what the show is about. Daniel takes John to task on the Protestant Work Ethic. We reminisce about a DIY shelf, and we have two very different takes on how it was built. Hit us up on ...

Fits + Starts

What's Fits + Starts about?

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Fits + Starts episodes:

30: Meritocracy ++

29: Ominous death clock

28: Heroic feats of workaholism (with Stephen Hackett)

27: Discipline December pt. 2 (with Caleb Porzio)

26: Ego depletion

25: Discipline December (with Caleb Porzio)

24: Many a hustle (with Michael Johnson)

23: Total depravity (with Nancy French)

22: I call it poetry, you call it content (with Aaron Belz)

21: Thinking in public (with Mike Rugnetta)

20: Talking about the show on the show

19: Idealogical Purity Ideas (with Brianna Wu)

18: Eventually it sucks less (with Merlin Mann)

17: Make the Internet Better (with Anil Dash)

16: Six-month-ago You (with Adam Wathan)

15: Bottle Episode

14: Obvious Questions Without Obvious Answers (with Estelle Caswell)

13: Motivating an Animal (with Matt Stauffer)

12: Clearing Up Mindspace (with Jake Thomsen)

11: Everybody's My Boss (with Kelly Walker)

10: Strapped to the Mast (with Zay Smallman)

9: Expectations You're Not Entitled To

8: Maslow's Hierarchy of Goals

7: Fix Your Pet Bug

6: Too Proud to Touch the Monolith

5: Closing the Gap

4: Internet Civics

3: Five Jobs and a Bunch of Dogwhistles

2: Ducks in a Row

1: Temporarily Embarrassed Millionaires

0: Episode Zero

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