Back to Work

It's your show.

About the show

Back to Work is an award winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more.

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Episodes

  • Episode 29: I Download FLAC

    August 16th, 2011  |  1 hr 22 mins

    With Dan on sabbatical, TV's Rob Corddry talks with Merlin about Getting Things Done, writing, fear, and finding success as a blood-soaked clown.

  • Episode 28: One Little Red Egg

    August 9th, 2011  |  1 hr 25 mins

    Dan and Merlin talk about kid stuff, including the threat of Hot Wheels® donation, the inevitability of skinned knees, the nefariousness of the hospital gift basket, plus an important way every Dad has to go pro.

  • Episode 27: Danny, Hold the License Plate

    August 2nd, 2011  |  1 hr 24 mins

    Merlin and Dan discuss the shameful state of film school, the realities of Ape Law, Merlin's rock opera, and the subliminal downside of Spongebob's big promotion.

  • Episode 26: Spaghetti Guy Hits Close to Home

    July 29th, 2011  |  1 hr 33 mins

    This week Wutang Dan and The MZA bring the ruckus to finding a job, selling your Mustang, and putting your house on the market: remember that you can't negotiate with reality, Merlin can't do anything to make you love him, enthusiasm is irreplaceable, and

  • Episode 25: My Food Court of Functionality

    July 22nd, 2011  |  1 hr 13 mins

    Dan and Merlin talk about nerds getting problems and about using Markdown in BBEdit, Textmate or any text app because you need to find tools that remove friction, not distractions.

  • Episode 24: The Daddy for your Destiny

    July 12th, 2011  |  1 hr 32 mins

    Dan's in a closet, but Merlin has a lot of FU from the last show: good jobs don't get posted on Craigslist and while you may not know what's gonna happen next, you're not just gonna install Xcode and retire on your angry bird so either do your research, g

  • Episode 23: Failure is ALWAYS an Option

    July 5th, 2011  |  1 hr 17 mins

    This week, Dan and Merlin determine that even the Chico Marx of notebooks is the right one if you're writing in it, failure is ALWAYS an option: fully committing didn't do Pickett any good, but you should commit to narrowing scope and deciding what succes

  • Episode 22: My Baby Likes Aluminum Foil!

    June 28th, 2011  |  1 hr 10 mins

    This week, Merlin and Dan share their Pick: The Macintosh Computer.

    Also, a 17-minute experimental startup sound, catching conflicts, shivving the stagecoach, machine-gunning with SoundMaster, the dangers of ResEdit, and the future of recumbent bike ba

  • Episode 21: Assistant TO the Regional Monkey

    June 22nd, 2011  |  1 hr 1 min

    Merlin and Dan talk about the problem of permanent zeroes, desiring not to desire, why "hypocrisy" is killing you, stepping back on the path without apologizing, Merlin's new tattoo, and—yeah—going a little easier on yourself.

    Also, how almost everythi

  • Episode 20: Muscle of Failure

    June 14th, 2011  |  1 hr 13 mins

    Merlin and Dan talk about getting started, putting on your shoes instead of shopping for pedometers, false dilemmas, doing as much work with your hands as you've done in your head, why you should leave some water in the pump, meta-fiddling, and getting be

  • Episode 19: Corner Casey Kasem

    June 7th, 2011  |  1 hr 22 mins

    Merlin and Dan talk about mindful tool adoption, screwdriver museums, why Vi users may (or may not) be cannibalistic insects—plus debate on whether a home video of a toy horse falling down in someone's bathroom is about Humanity. Also, Dan effs with Merli

  • Episode 18: Forking the Question

    May 31st, 2011  |  1 hr 25 mins

    Merlin and Dan talk about educating "That's Just a Button Guy," practicing more humane pushback, asking better questions, why laundromats don't accept "focus," plus what happens when you put WAY too much crap in your five-pound bag.