In this episode, Kaila and Kyle are joined by author David Epstein to discuss the topic of his latest book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better. Listen to hear why constraints increase both productivity and creativity, and how to implement them on your own to help you in work and life.

00:00 Intro

02:05 The story of General Magic

06:02 Additive bias

09:14 Brooks’s Law

12:34 How Bell Labs is an example of useful constraints

14:48 Can removing constraints ever be beneficial?

19:31 How do we build a constraint to prevent distraction?

23:49 David’s observations on AI’s impact on human productivity 

27:30 Creativity and the Green Eggs and Ham Effect

31:07 What is the relationship between creativity, expertise, and constraints?

35:08 Is having unlimited professional options actually good career advice?

39:28 Decision-making and Fredkin’s Paradox 

41:00 How David’s two books Range and Inside the Box tie into one another

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Each week on Per My Last Email, Morning Brew’s resident career experts Kaila and Kyle – whose careers have collectively spanned the corporate, government, nonprofit and startup sectors – debate the trickiest challenges in work life, and share tactics on how to overcome them. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app!

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