Back to Work
Channel Details
Back to Work
Back to Work is an award winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more.
Recent Episodes
643 episodesEpisode 644: A Tony Bennett Hair Hat
An important discussion about aging as examined and explained through the lens of James Howlett.
Episode 643: The Price of Lies
Merlin thinks LLMs have raised the bar for voice assistants in general and Siri in particular. Dan and his kid watch the excellent HBO series, Chernob...
Episode 642: A Better Roll of Toilet Paper
Your hosts discuss facial hair, notebooks, the metric system, flexing about local weather, and becoming the bathroom supplies you want to see in the w...
Episode 641: Germans in the Wild
Travel is not always about traveling, but it is definitely always about your life.
Episode 640: Bob's Big Mess
A classic odds n' sods episode. Plus, Merlin has thoughts about memory and ecosystems, and Dan is considering jetting through an eclipse.
e640 B...
Episode 639: The Commodore's Club
Dan talks about what he's learned from traveling a bunch, and Merlin thinks a lot of weirdness comes from our twin fears of boredom and inconvenience.
Episode 637: The Minimally Viable Log Cabin Channel
Merlin conducts a deep dive on being busy versus being time-constrained, and Dan has some updates on his task management odyssey.
Episode 636: Honoring My Pivot Table
Dan is navigating the landscape of task management apps, and, shockingly, Merlin has some thoughts.
Episode 635: Buffet de Canard
Dan and Merlin kick off the new year with a wide-ranging look at how tools and motivations evolve with how we work.
Episode 634: Nominally Future-Resistant
A fairly epic episode covering health tracking and self-quantization.
Remember: data doesn't have to hurt.
Episode 633: A Self-Aware Old Man
Your hosts talk about how we perceive the world and the challenge of mindfully updating our perceptions.
Episode 632: Big Strong Beef Boy
Dan and Merlin are excited about technologies that have found a place in their lives. What a blessed season of thanks!
Runner-Up Titles:
A...
Episode 631: Little Bit of Dirty Grey
Merlin has more on generative AI, and Dan has a sweet new watch.
Episode 627: Unscheduled Dirt Event
Merlin claims he's not going to do any work for this one, and Dan has some advice for travelers.
Episode 626: Chekhov's Lightsaber
Your hosts catch up on some great media, and Merlin expounds on the magic of Channels. Also, Merlin logrolls a recent podcast episode and re-extolls t...
Episode 624: Rectangle Time
Dan and Merlin have a wide-ranging discussion about technology, and Merlin lays the groundwork for several spirited rants.
Episode 623: My Terrible Adhesion
Over the course of this classic Odds n' Sods episode, it becomes clear that all Merlin cares about is babies and 3D printing.
Episode 622: A Gentleman's Malt Liquor
Dan returns from a nice trip, and Merlin has been printing lizards.
Episode 621: Hairy Legs and the Whole Nine
You’re either early or you’re late; leave time for a flat tire; have you tried melatonin?; a new search engine and some enthusiasm for blogs.
Episode 620: Happy to be a Chair
With Merlin on the mend, your hosts discuss actors named Hurt, comic books, and old Macs.
Episode 619: A Beautiful Jam-Up
DISCUSSED: A self-hypnosis recommendation leads to another look at meditation (as well as not-meditation), plus Merlin has a few more beta finds that...
Episode 618: The Living Room Test
DISCUSSED: Dan sets up his little office, your hosts talk about the new Apple dingus, and Merlin highlights some strong OS updates.
Episode 617: Trailer for the Future
Dan needs your help with a flooring dilemma, and your hosts share some thoughts on WWDC announcements.
Episode 616: Archipelagos of Functionality
Dan dives deep on his Sonos setup, and Merlin explores official state things.
Episode 615: An Attractive Nuisance
DISCUSSED: Merlin's family doesn't understand him; an extremely funny TV show is recommended; your hosts address some of the trade-offs that continue...
Episode 612: See All of Your Face
Dan's house continues to get smarter, and Merlin has some very good media picks.
Episode 611: Running FFMpeg on Myself
Dan has big updates about his smart home setup, and Merlin is getting intimate with a robot.
Episode 610: Hero Light
DISCUSSED: Steve Buscemi is celebrated, and The Big Lebowski is congratulated; the guys continue their dive into the state of smart home hardware with...
Episode 609: A Reverse Egg
Dan is curious about AI voice transcription, and Merlin has yet more smart home advice for a new homeowner.
Episode 608: Charles Entertainment Berry
DISCUSSED: Merlin has some been analyzing a very misleading song about beaches, and Dan has been visiting more with ChadGPT.
Episode 607: Age of Garbage
DISCUSSED: Dan has a new iPad keyboard, and Merlin is intrigued by ChatGPT. Also, Merlin almost tunes his guitar.
Episode 606: Goodnight, Night
DISCUSSED: Dan's takes some smart baby steps into home automation, and Merlin has a lot to say about everything.
Episode 605: A Case for a Life
DISCUSSED: Dan begins a new journey into smart home living, and Merlin is excited about common misconceptions.
e605-infants https://files.firesi...