Shows
2025-12-1908 min
Notes on Play15: Paying attention to "desire paths"Sometimes players show you exactly what they want to do. You can either fight them, or learn from them.
2025-12-1210 min
Notes on Play14: Games are not storiesGames don't need written narrative to be great games. The best stories in games are the ones that organically emerge from the gameplay itself.
2025-12-0509 min
Talking Businessly80: Late fees are unenforceableMarketing works. Late fees don't. John is speaking at Laracon EU! We review our OKRs and cash situation. John has more mic issues.
2025-11-2045 min
Notes on Play13: Less is more in simulation gamesMost games simulate some real world scenario. So how do you decide which parts of the real world to represent in game mechanisms? This is where the real artistry of game design comes to light.
2025-11-1410 min
Notes on Play12: Problem-centered designBetween each iteration of my game, I'll have dozens of ideas. But which do I actually implement? I find it extremely helpful to break my ideas down into problem statements, and then focus on just solving the most important problems. Here are some examples of how this works for me. [link to play game] [link to original conference talk]
2025-11-0710 min
Notes on Play11: Distribution is harder than making thingsI've got a great game with great reviews. So how the heck do I get it onto shelves? Here's everything I've tried.
2025-10-2409 min
Notes on Play10: A board game with hundreds of playersPlay the new prototype with us by joining our discord! I built a game that feels like a board game, but is secretly a social game that requires collaboration, deception, and communication.
2025-10-1707 min
Notes on Play9: Managing the player's cognitive loadHow do you communicate complex rules to players? It's worth thinking about what kind of complexity you're communicating, how you communicate it, and when you communicate it. This episode has a couple examples of how designers solve this problem.
2025-10-1011 min
Notes on Play8: AI is horrible at game designLLMs excel at churning out sugar free vanilla paste. That's great when you're writing code. And it's awful when you're doing creative work.
2025-10-0309 min
Notes on Play7: Escape the mind palaceA game is only a game if it is playable. It is so hard for me to resist the temptation to retreat to the "mind palace" where my game devolves from a playable, testable, living thing into a mere thought experiment. Here's how I avoid that temptation. Also, here is the link to my video of rapidly prototyping in Figma.
2025-09-1910 min
Notes on Play6: Letting players decide the victory conditionMy white whale (one of them, at least) is to let players decide how they want to win, and even decide whether it's a cooperative or competitive game. I haven't cracked it yet. But I got a lot closer last week.
2025-09-1209 min
Notes on Play5: Suspension of disbelief is a skillThere are two voices in your head. You don't know which is correct, but you do know that one is more useful.
2025-09-0508 min
Notes on Play4: High energy, low egoEverything I learned at my first game conference. Buy Colossi now.
2025-08-2913 min
2025-08-2208 min
2025-08-1909 min
Notes on Play1: What happens when you can't test a gameLinks: The Social Game, my work podcast where we talked about this, and Videos of the event.
2025-08-1909 min
2025-08-1900 minTalking Businessly70: A deeply unserious Laracon recapIf you're looking for that incisive, smart business insight, go ahead and skip this one. We talk dogs, Laracon, John's talk, Laravel Forge, the upcoming Livewire conference, game design, The Social Game, a video John's obsessed with, and Rust (the video game).
2025-08-1247 minTalking Businessly65: Being uncomfortably explicitDaniel got a 3D printer. John got a new iPhone that he feels meh about. We are feeling out how to consult when there are issues way outside of our control. Getting uncomfortably explicit is awkward in the moment, but makes everyone happy later. John has a wild story about Emily Belz's article.
2025-06-0236 min
Get to B-SchoolEp 17. John Koelliker - Leland CEO and Co-Founder: Launching a Business at Stanford GSBToday's guest is John Koelliker, CEO and Co-Founder of Leland—the go-to platform for the B-school community.
In this conversation, John shares the story behind founding Leland, and how it wasn’t just a business idea—it was a lightning bolt, a “I HAVE to do this” moment. He also opens up about the most powerful lessons from his time at Stanford GSB, and why the MBA journey should be about more than just getting in.
We dive into:
🔹 The origin story of Leland and the mission behind it
🔹 What John took away from his own B-s...
2025-05-1219 minTalking Businessly60: Our biggest client yetJohn got star struck on Easter. Daniel got a new couch. We got a big new client. John is working nights and weekends on the Laracon game, and it's awesome. Daniel is working on the client app. We review OKRs.
2025-04-2147 minTalking Businessly59: We lost a client for good reasonsJohn is locked in, and made a playlist so you can lock in too. We are in silly season, but we have an excellent new PM who will get us through. We lost a client, but for good reasons. We recap what we learned. John is grinding on the new game, and Daniel gives technical guidance. We try to diagnose what's wrong with tv writing. The Iranian film maker John couldn't remember is Kiarostami. Here's a funny scene from Hail Caesar.
2025-04-1459 min
SOUTHEAST IOWA TODAY With John BainBurlington-April 26th- SEIRC Craft/Vendor Fair & Baby Supply DriveOn this VIDEO episode of Southeast Iowa Today John Bain learns about the upcoming Spring Fundraiser for the Southeast Iowa Resource Center. The event will be at the Port of Burlington in Burlington, Iowa. He learns from Center Director Amber Gavin and Board Member Katie Drexler how the organization helps people in need in Southeast Iowa and they also share how you can help them with their mission. If you would like to learn more or donate, email to seiaregionalrc@gmail.com or visit their Amazon Wish List at http://a.co/44D13Fi
2025-04-1424 min
Over EngineeredPHP × NYC Chaos-Cast™What happens when you get a bunch of Laravel podcasters + a bunch of mics in a room? Chaos, apparently.Recorded live after PHP × NYC with Ben Holmen, John Drexler, Daniel Coulbourne, Chris Morrell, Ian Landsman, Dave Hicking, and Joe Tannenbaum.
2025-04-071h 11Over EngineeredPHP × NYC Chaos-Cast™What happens when you get a bunch of Laravel podcasters + a bunch of mics in a room? Chaos, apparently.Recorded live after PHP × NYC with Ben Holmen, John Drexler, Daniel Coulbourne, Chris Morrell, Ian Landsman, Dave Hicking, and Joe Tannenbaum.
2025-04-071h 11
Side ProjectPHP × NYC Chaos-Cast™Recorded live after PHP × NYC with Ben Holmen, John Drexler, Daniel Coulbourne, Chris Morrell, Ian Landsman, Dave Hicking, and Joe Tannenbaum.We realized, hey, we're all podcasters, let's sit down and discuss the most important issues of the day: Trader Joe's in basements, Poker, Day 2 Soup, Chess.com, something called "The Pizza Belt", and much, much more.https://mostlytechnical.com/https://podcast.thunk.dev/https://overengineered.fm/https://cheeseandweather.com/
2025-04-071h 11Talking Businessly57: Sunsetting PapercutsSpring is here. John was on the Over Engineered podcast to discuss running product processes on small teams. We are sunsetting Papercuts. We do a quick retro about why, and what we learned. John did a heroic refactor on the new client app. Daniel is making home improvements
2025-03-3136 minTalking Businessly56: Chunks of workJohn got married. We got paid by a delinquent client. John spoke at PHP x Philly. The client management app is getting really good, which can now invoice clients. Finally, John thinks tv is maybe bad.
2025-03-2433 minGet to B-SchoolEp 8. John Kreider - Stanford GSB: How to Roll SixesToday’s guest, John Kreider, took the long road to business school—three application cycles, five GMAT attempts (and two GRE), and countless hours of self-reflection. But it wasn’t until he stopped trying to be the "perfect applicant" and started being his true self that Stanford GSB finally said yes.
John’s story is one of resilience, authenticity, and trusting the process. In this episode, we dive into:
🔹 Applying three times—what changed between attempts and what finally worked
🔹 Taking the admit tests 7 times—and surviving the grind
🔹 How growing up in the backwoods of Alaska s...
2025-03-1426 minTalking Businessly52: Coaching clients to have more urgencyWe talk retro video games. Daniel is wiring up his whole home. John preps for his Laracon talk. We recap what we learned from an uncomfortable client moment. We finalize our OKRs. John was on Joe Tannenbaum's podcast talking about games. John talks about doing jiu jitsu against the Dutch.
2025-01-2757 min
Side ProjectElephant in the Room with John Rudolph DrexlerJohn Drexler drops by to chat about his online game Elephant in the Room, fat clients, and what makes a good game (spoiler, it's all just vibes).(00:00) - Introduction to Side Projects and Game Development
(02:43) - The Journey of Game Creation
(05:18) - Understanding 'Elephant in the Room'
(07:57) - Game Design vs. Game Playing
(10:46) - Evolution of Tech Stack
(13:30) - Client-Side Logic and Game Responsiveness
(16:16) - Reflections on Development Process
(23:40) - Understanding Livewire and Client State Management
(27:22) - Challenges in Game Implementation and Animation
(30:57) - Bot Decision-Making and Difficulty Levels
(36:30) - Designing Engaging Games: Key Principles
(45:05...
2025-01-2449 minTalking Businessly51: John built the client management app 🤫John built the MVP client app! Daniel watched Survivor. We brainstorm what we want out of our 2025 OKRs.
2025-01-2042 minTalking Businessly47: Killing HarvestJohn saw Hamilton. Daniel is moving. We are finally building the client management app that we've long resisted. We talk through the requirements and speak ill of Harvest.
2024-11-1859 minTalking Businessly46: We want to buy your business (maybe)We watched good movies this weekend. We re-learn that good management is mostly about un-blocking people. John's journey into React led him back to Livewire and Alpine. John is speaking at PHP x NYC. And finally, we discuss the (probably terrible) idea of buying a small business / product.
2024-11-1151 minTalking Businessly44: Clarifying roles for Silly Season v2John went jet skiing at the Statue of Liberty. We love Bluesky. Tech bros keep getting one-shot by psychedelics. Business is great right now. We clarify our roles, headed into silly season. Daniel dreams up where Verbs will go in the long run.
2024-10-281h 07Talking Businessly43: Getting personal about working stylesJohn used to be a choir boy. We remember being terrible at college, and wish we could have a second try. We talk working styles, and where we could do better. John brings up some important feedback from recent retros about how we work. John is writing a game in React! Daniel still insists that John start playing Deadlock.
2024-10-211h 00Talking Businessly42: Celebrating $1M in revenue!(sorry for the terrible quality. SOMEONE forgot to record. We'll let you guess who). How to write a good email. John went to the Texas State Fair. We hit $1M in revenue, and Daniel bought John a gift. We touch briefly on the Wordpress drama. Joker 2 looks awful but fun. Finally, we review OKRs.
2024-10-141h 02Talking Businessly41: Un-profitable software that helps peopleDaniel survived a terrifying storm. We are building software to support Asheville. John is speaking at Laracon EU! We're in sales mode for Papercuts. We are making slow progress getting better at client communication. John watched THREE good movies.
2024-10-0857 minTalking Businessly39: Aaron said to put it out no matter whatDaniel's talk is out! Go watch it. We plan out future talks and screencasts. John talks about game projects he has in the works, and pushing Verbs to new levels of complexity. We talk about the killer future feature of Verbs: analytics.
2024-09-0949 minTalking Businessly37: International man of mischiefWe plan the rest of our 2024 goals / OKRs. We're making t-shirts. We're shilling Verbs. John has intrusive thoughts and a therapy moment. There's a little something for everyone in here.
2024-08-121h 01Talking Businessly36: Thunk Pyramid Scheme (the super secret Laracon project)We built a game for Laracon, and it rules. Also, John released his board game Colossi! Finally, we get started on our OKRs for the second half of the year.
2024-08-0544 minTalking Businessly35: The problems that Papercuts solvesJohn did a bunch of Papercuts interviews, and now has a way clearer sense of what problem we're solving. He talks about his process as a PM. And we talk through all the problems we won't solve with Papercuts. At least not yet.
2024-07-1753 minTalking Businessly34: Go to papercuts.ioOur new Saas app Papercuts.io is up, and it is in Alpha testing. If it sounds useful to you, go sign up and we'll reach out shortly! We also talk about the future of where this app might go. If you work at an agency or run an agency, please reach out to john@thunk.dev. We want to talk.
2024-07-0249 minTalking Businessly30: Strategy brainstorm (empaneling Luke Roush)Luke Roush is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Sovereign's Capital. John worked for Luke for 4 years. If John ever says anything smart, there's a 40% chance he's just quoting Luke without giving him credit. Luke loves nothing more than brainstorming how to make a business tick.Apologies for the sound quality, we had a little snafu.
2024-05-2157 minTalking Businessly28: Short term profit vs. long term strategyBusiness is great. But that means Daniel doesn't have time to do strategic stuff. John is pulling back on client hours to figure out how to do outbound sales. We plan out an onsite (or is it offsite?). Finally, we review our OKRs.
2024-04-2943 minTalking Businessly25: ❤️ Devs seeking new obsession ❤️We want to find a long term partner, and we want your help. Then things come completely off the rails and we stop talking about business. John rants about healthcare "markets", we discuss Kendrick vs. J. Cole beef, and recommend tv shows.
2024-04-0842 minTalking Businessly23: SaaS opportunity knocks againWe have an opportunity to do something big, difficult, and pretty different from our other clients. John went on the Over Engineered podcast to talk about whether sprints and estimates matter. We review our OKRs.
2024-03-1147 min
Over EngineeredDo we really need sprints? w/ John Drexler, Bogdan Kharchenko, and Skyler KatzWhat are the best processes for small software development teams with high trust? In today's episode the InterNACHI software development team sits down with John Rudolph Drexler to talk about whether or not we need to estimate tickets or even bother with sprints…
2024-03-051h 20Over EngineeredDo we really need sprints? w/ John Drexler, Bogdan Kharchenko, and Skyler KatzWhat are the best processes for small software development teams with high trust? In today's episode the InterNACHI software development team sits down with John Rudolph Drexler to talk about whether or not we need to estimate tickets or even bother with sprints…
2024-03-051h 20Talking Businessly22: Mentees keep becoming clientsDaniel and John are out on the speaker circuit. John wants to give more developer talks. We want to mentor more programmers, because that has been an amazing source of clients. And we might convince our friend to become a Laravel dev.
2024-03-0441 minTalking Businessly20: The FULL Stack DeveloperPapercuts progress. Daniel spent some time with the dutch. Getting busy and landing business. John give talks, Daniel gives talks. Retro-driven company.
2024-02-2045 minTalking Businessly17: Empanelling Allison LackerAllison is a former colleague of John's, and we're thrilled to have her on the panel of mentors. She has been a developer, product manager, and executive. She has a lot of good perspective on how developers can think more like PMs, and why that matters. We talk processes, metrics, building teams, living with legacy code, and a lot more.
2023-12-131h 23Talking Businessly16: Brainstorming our first SaaS productAlso: is programming art or science? John finds reading painful. Daniel finds small to-dos painful. Why are we paying so many Quickbooks fees? The 2024 budget.
2023-12-111h 09Talking Businessly13: Launching Verbs at Laracon AUDaniel is jetlagged after returning from Sydney, where he launched Verbs at Laracon AU.We talk about the launch, talk about John's Kickstarter for Colossi, and do a quick catchup on our OKRs.
2023-11-2353 minTalking Businessly12: Colossi + Verbs (it's shill day)You can buy John's game on Kickstarter right now! Daniel's new event sourcing package Verbs is nearly complete, and John loves it. Join us as we spend 40 minutes gassing each other up.
2023-11-0739 min
Xpansv // art + science + executionBMI For Sale!?! with Michael Drexler, What a BMI Acquisition Could mean for Tomorrow’s Artists | Hacking Music with John Pisciotta #198BMI For Sale!?! with Michael Drexler, What a BMI Acquisition Could mean for Tomorrow’s Artists
Michael Drexler is Principal at Drexler Research. Previously lead teams at:
- Sony Music Entertainment ·- Senior Director, Business Development, Corporate Development & Strategy
- Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) - Executive Director, Business Development, Digital Licensing & Strategy
- Warner Music Group - Vice President, Digital Strategy & Corporate Development (M&A)
1. Michael Drexler’s Story
2. The Consent Decree that Created and Constrains ASCAP and BMI
3. Why BMI Exists? ASCAP’S Racist History!?! 1939 And The Curious Origin Story of BMI
4. Fight For Your Rights - How GMR wor...
2023-11-0253 minTalking Businessly10: Daniel is Going to Laracon AU!John is tanking a lot of bureaucracyDaniel is writing a LOT of codeDaniel is going to Laracon AustraliaWe discuss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgV6M1LyfNY
2023-10-1652 minTalking Businessly5: Empanelling Aaron FrancisAaron Francis (@aarondfrancis) officially joins Thunk's panel of mentors! Aaron gives John feedback on his blogs, and provides LOADS of good ideas for how to improve it and grow the audience.
2023-09-151h 00Talking Businessly3: The Sales Funnel is WorkingJohn's game Colossi is almost readyThe sales funnel is workingMax is having a hard oneWe've made progress on our goalsThis is not the episode about hiring a mentor
2023-08-3042 minTalking Businessly1: The FG ScaleDaniel has feedback on John's blog posts. Why do feedback? Why is it so painful? The "FG Scale" Does Jacob feel empowered to give us feedback? Should we keep our docs in Slab? Why set goals? What are OKRs? In the back half of the episode, we get super detailed deciding what our goals are for the rest of 2024.
2023-08-181h 15
The Bomb HardEpisode 31 - Marty DrexlerToday on the podcast is Marty Drexler. He's a Highschool Math teacher and a really funny comedian. He's won both the funny stop amateur competition and the cofeature competition. Back in 2013 he was on "The View" as a finalist for their funniest teacher in America search. We talked about comedy, some news, and how Rodney Dangerfield was an inspiration for Marty.
2021-02-231h 04
SpoilerMidsommar - John DrexlerA third member of the Drexler clan, John, joins us for this week’s episode to describe the movie “Midsommar.” We’ve got cults, we’ve got bear kings, we’ve got a testicle shrine and lots and lots of white nonsense. What more could we ask for in this daylight thriller?
2020-02-031h 02
Master Brewers PodcastEpisode 039: The Language of HopsAn effort supported by a professional perfumer to establish a universal sensory language for hops.Special Guest: Georg Drexler.Sponsored By:BSG: Proximity Malt: ABS: Hopsteiner: Links:MBAA TQ: The Language of Hops: How to Assess Hop Flavor in Hops and BeerUpcoming Events - Master Brewers Calendar
2019-11-1817 minSpoilerBig Little Lies - John Noble Barrack
Mary and Julie invite improvisers, storytellers and friends to recount the plots of some of the most famous movies and TV shows. The twist? They’ve only ever seen the last 90 seconds. Listen as guests butcher the plots of some of the most beloved stories of all time.
2019-06-241h 09
Fits + Starts30: 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.
2018-07-2500 minFits + Starts29: Ominous death clockIn 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!
2018-02-1400 minFits + Starts28: 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.
2018-01-2400 minFits + Starts27: 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”.
2018-01-0300 minFits + Starts26: Ego depletionWe 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 roll, and taking notes.
2017-12-2000 minFits + Starts25: 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 show notes. If you want to join along, shoot us a tweet.
Special Guest: Caleb Porzio.
Links:
- [Discipline December SPREADSHEET](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fNUtSBERd1PvjjHj_xTDuxbTNQx_5hFwlD5AukTDlNU/edit#gid=0 "Discipline December SPREADSHEET")
- [Patreon (our tip jar)](https://www.patreon.com/fitsandstarts "Patreon (our tip jar)")
- [Curating a Twitter feed (this week's bonus content...
2017-12-0600 minFits + Starts24: 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 (Listener Support)")
- [In which we try to think up a novel way to release music (this week's bonus content)](https://www.patreon.com/posts/in-which-we-try-15396135 "In which we try to think up a novel way to release music (this week's bonus content)")
- [TwillyCo](https://www.etsy.com/shop/twillyco "TwillyCo")
- [mmmichaeljohnson...
2017-11-2200 minFits + Starts23: 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 culture and politics, and why Nancy pays more attention to Judd Apatow than Mike Pence!
Special Guest: Nancy French.
Links:
- [iPhone X review & late capitalism scams (this week's bonus content)](https://www.patreon.com/posts/15236663 "iPhone X review & late capitalism scams (this week's bonus content)")
- [Our tip jar](https://www.patreon.com/fitsandstarts "Our...
2017-11-0800 minFits + Starts22: 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 essayist who works in marketing.
Special Guest: Aaron Belz.
Links:
- [Patreon (Listener Support)](https://www.patreon.com/fitsandstarts "Patreon (Listener Support)")
- [Captain D's, please! (this week's bonus content)](https://www.patreon.com/posts/14998949 "Captain D's, please! (this week's bonus content)")
- [A. Belz (@aaronbelz) | Twitter](https://twitter.com/aaronbelz?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor "A...
2017-10-2500 minFits + Starts21: 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 into a discussion of video games that feel like work, and why we love them.
Special Guest: Mike Rugnetta.
Links:
- [Fits + Starts Patreon (click here to support the show!)](https://www.patreon.com/fitsandstarts "Fits + Starts Patreon (click here to support the show!)")
- [John's 15 favorite Idea Channel videos](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvnHTdILuUcQf3i0H8r...
2017-10-1100 minFits + Starts20: Talking about the show on the showWe'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 Listener Survey](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1NF2G-it-vfvxLwsJxh9NMSKbaFgVl6kUehizFX-4S3o/edit "Fits + Starts Listener Survey")
- [Best way for artists and creators to get sustainable income and connect with fans | Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/ "Best way for artists and creators to get sustainable income and connect with fans | Patreon")
- [In Praise of Incrementalism - Freakonomics...
2017-08-0200 minFits + Starts19: 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 gestures. We also get into info security, online harassment, and then some inside-baseball talk about Apple and the future of gaming.
We really hate asking, but your reviews on Apple Podcasts really do make a difference. Please consider rating and reviewing us there, sharing the show with friends, and subscribing! Also, hit us up on Twitter! We’d love to ch...
2017-07-1900 minFits + Starts18: 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 - Merlin Mann](http://www.merlinmann.com/ "Independent Writer, Speaker, and Broadcaster - Merlin Mann")
- [Merlin Mann (@hotdogsladies) | Twitter](https://twitter.com/hotdogsladies "Merlin Mann (@hotdogsladies) | Twitter")
- [You Look Nice Today | A Journal of Emotional Hygiene](http://youlooknicetoday.com/ "You Look Nice Today | A Journal of Emotional Hygiene")
- [5by5 | Back to Work](http://5by5.tv/b2w "5...
2017-07-0500 minFits + Starts17: 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 some big ideas about infrastructure.
Hit us up on Twitter:
John: @johnrudolphdrex
Daniel: @dcoulbourne
Fits and Starts: @fits\_and\_starts
Special Guest: Anil Dash.
Links:
- [Anil Dash (@anildash) | Twitter](https://twitter.com/anildash?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor "Anil Dash (@anildash) | Twitter")
- [Fog Creek Software: Team Collaboration and Development Tools](http://www.fogcreek.com/ "Fog Creek Software: Team Collaboration...
2017-06-2100 minFits + Starts16: 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: @johnrudolphdrex
Special Guest: Adam Wathan.
Links:
- [Adam Wathan's Website](https://adamwathan.me/ "Adam Wathan's Website")
- [Adam Wathan (@adamwathan) | Twitter](https://twitter.com/adamwathan "Adam Wathan (@adamwathan) | Twitter")
- [Full Stack Radio](http://www.fullstackradio.com/ "Full Stack Radio")
- [The $61,392 Book Launch That Let Me Quit My Job](https://adamwathan.me/the-book-launch-that-let-me-quit-my-job/ "The $61,392 Book Launch That...
2017-06-0700 min
??pod15: Bottle EpisodeWe 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 and Smash Mouth are indications that we are indeed living in a simulation.
Hit us up on Twitter:
John Drexler: @johnrudolphdrex
Daniel Coulbourne: @DCoulbourne
Fits and Starts: @fits_and_starts
2017-05-2436 minFits + Starts15: Bottle EpisodeWe 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 and Smash Mouth are indications that we are indeed living in a simulation.
Hit us up on Twitter:
John Drexler: @johnrudolphdrex
Daniel Coulbourne: @DCoulbourne
Fits and Starts: @fits\_and\_starts
Links:
- [Twenty Percent Time](http://twentypercent.fm/ "Twenty Percent Time")
- [Tighten Co. | Product Development for Web + Mobile | Laravel + Vue.js](https://tighten.co/ "Tighten Co. | Product Development...
2017-05-2400 min??pod15: Bottle EpisodeWe 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 and Smash Mouth are indications that we are indeed living in a simulation.
Hit us up on Twitter:
John Drexler: @johnrudolphdrex
Daniel Coulbourne: @DCoulbourne
Fits and Starts: @fits_and_starts
Links:
Twenty Percent Time
Tighten Co. | Product Development for Web + Mobile | Laravel + Vue.js
Everything's coming up Milhouse! - YouTube
Woody’s Fish Tacos - Yelp
John Legend - I...
2017-05-2436 minFits + Starts14: 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 West, Lil' Wayne, and Kendrick Lamar.
Hit us up on Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Special Guest: Estelle Caswell.
Links:
- [Estelle Caswell (@estellecaswell) | Twitter](https://twitter.com/estellecaswell "Estelle Caswell (@estellecaswell) | Twitter")
- [Rapping, deconstructed: The best rhymers of all time - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWveXdj6...
2017-05-1000 minFits + Starts13: 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 of Industry.
Hit us up on Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Special Guest: Matt Stauffer.
Links:
- [Matt Stauffer (@stauffermatt) | Twitter](https://twitter.com/stauffermatt "Matt Stauffer (@stauffermatt) | Twitter")
- [Tighten Co. | Product Development for Web + Mobile | Laravel + Vue.js](https://tighten.co/ "Tighten Co. | Product Development for Web + Mobile | Laravel + Vue.js"...
2017-04-2600 min??pod13: Motivating an Animal (with Matt Stauffer)Matt enumerates the differences between venture-backed and bootstrapped businesses. We discuss the difference “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 of Industry.
Matt Stauffer is a partner at Tighten (tighten.co), the creator of Karani (karani.co), the host of The Laravel Podcast (laravelpodcast.com) and Five Minute Geek Show (fiveminutegeekshow.com), and the author of Laravel Up & Running (laravelupandrunning.com).
Reach out to any or all of us on Twitter!
Matt Stauffer: @stauffermatt
Daniel Coulbourne: @DCoulbourne
John Drexler: @johnrudolphdrex
2017-04-2657 minFits + Starts12: 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 the Protestant Work Ethic!
Hit us up on Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Special Guest: Jake Thomsen.
Links:
- [Jake Thomsen | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakethomsen/ "Jake Thomsen | LinkedIn")
- [Overcast](https://overcast.fm/ "Overcast")
- [Fits and Starts: 5: Closing the Gap](http://fitsandstarts.fm/closing-the-gap "Fits and Starts: 5: Closing...
2017-04-1200 minFits + Starts11: 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!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Special Guest: Kelly Walker.
Links:
- [Kelly Walker Fine Art](http://kellywalkerfineart.squarespace.com/ "Kelly Walker Fine Art")
- [Artstar Custom Paintworks](http://artstarcustompaintworks.squarespace.com/ "Artstar Custom Paintworks")
- [Personal branding - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_branding "Personal branding - Wikipedia")
- [a16...
2017-03-2900 minFits + Starts10: 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 Rhino and Mama Bear Studios.
Hit us up on Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Special Guest: Zay Smallman.
Links:
- [Fancy Rhino](http://fancyrhino.com/ "Fancy Rhino")
- [Hunter Gatherer (2016) - Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hunter_gatherer/ "Hunter Gatherer (2016) - Rotten Tomatoes")
- [Mama Bear Studios - IMDB](h...
2017-03-1500 minFits + Starts9: Expectations You're Not Entitled ToWe 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 SodaStream!
Hit us up on Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Links:
- [Fits and Starts: 8: Maslow's Hierarchy of Goals](http://fitsandstarts.fm/8-maslows-hierarchy-of-goals "Fits and Starts: 8: Maslow's Hierarchy of Goals")
- [Mindfulness - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness "Mindfulness - Wikipedia")
- [Fits and Starts: 2: Ducks in a Row...
2017-02-2300 minFits + Starts8: Maslow's Hierarchy of GoalsWe 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 disabled all notifications on his devices.
Hit us up on Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Links:
- [Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs "Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia")
- [Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview (2012) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com...
2017-02-0800 minFits + Starts7: Fix Your Pet BugWe 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 own incompetency. AND THEN DANIEL GETS ENGAGED.
Hit us up on Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Links:
- [down to chill | belz](https://belz.blog/2013/11/24/down-to-chill/ "down to chill | belz")
- [Aaron Belz (@aaronbelz) | Twitter](https://twitter.com/aaronbelz?lang=en "Aaron Belz (@aaronbelz) | Twitter")
- [Patton Oswalt - Wikipedia...
2017-01-2600 minFits + Starts6: Too Proud to Touch the MonolithDaniel 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!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Links:
- [Anarchy - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy "Anarchy - Wikipedia")
- [Socialism - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism "Socialism - Wikipedia")
- [Libertarianism - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism "Libertarianism - Wikipedia")
- [The Apple two-step: My disastrous attempt...
2017-01-1100 minFits + Starts5: Closing the GapThe 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 - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Links:
- [The Beatles - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles "The Beatles - Wikipedia")
- [The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2531318/ "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016) - IMDb")
- [Soundbreaking...
2016-12-2800 minFits + Starts4: Internet CivicsWe 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:
- [Slack: Where work happens](https://slack.com/ "Slack: Where work happens")
- [Boards | Trello](https://trello.com/ "Boards | Trello")
- [Google Hangouts](https://hangouts.google.com/ "Google Hangouts")
- [Zoom.us](https://zoom.us/ "Zoom.us")
- [Screenhero | Screen sharing for collaboration in teams](https://screenhero.com/ "Screenhero | Screen sharing for collaboration in teams")
- [The world's...
2016-12-1400 minFits + Starts3: Five Jobs and a Bunch of DogwhistlesWe 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:
- [Reserve Ratio](http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/reserveratio.asp "Reserve Ratio")
- [Federal Reserve System - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_System "Federal Reserve System - Wikipedia")
- [Ben Bernanke - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Bernanke "Ben Bernanke - Wikipedia")
- [Horse trading - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse...
2016-12-0300 minFits + Starts2: Ducks in a RowWe 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 one's ducks in a row - Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/have_one%27s_ducks_in_a_row "have one's ducks in a row - Wiktionary")
- [You Look Nice Today | A Journal of Emotional Hygiene](http://youlooknicetoday.com/ "You Look Nice Today | A Journal of Emotional Hygiene")
- [80: Jaimee Newberry and corporate culture | Debug on acast...
2016-11-2600 minFits + Starts1: Temporarily Embarrassed MillionairesWe 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 - @johnrudolphdrex
Links:
- [Fits and Starts: 0: Episode Zero](http://fitsandstarts.fm/episode-zero "Fits and Starts: 0: Episode Zero")
- [Silicon Valley (TV series) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Valley_(TV_series) "Silicon Valley (TV series) - Wikipedia")
- [Mr. Robot (TV series) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Robot_(TV_series) "Mr. Robot (TV...
2016-11-2200 minFits + Starts0: Episode ZeroWe 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 Twitter!
Fits and Starts - @fits\_and\_starts
Daniel - @dcoulbourne
John - @johnrudolphdrex
Links:
- [Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/ "Business Insider")
- [Protestant work ethic - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic "Protestant work ethic - Wikipedia")
2016-11-2200 min
Moving Forward ("always be moving forward!")MF 050.3 : Academy Award™ and Two Time Emmy Award™ Winning Artist, Doug Drexler, on Being the "Geek Who Made Good" and Why You Should Make Failure Your Best FriendCo-host and entrepreneur, John Lim, speaks with Doug Drexler: one of the most influential, pioneering artists in Hollywood today. Doug has won the Academy Award™ and the British Academy Award for his make-up work on Dick Tracy and two Emmy Awards™ for his FX work on Battlestar Galactica. On this episode, Doug reveals why failure should become your best friend. More at www.bemovingforward.com.
Note: links to Amazon and Audible products are affiliate links through which the author receives a small commission from sales. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Books and podcasts available at linktr.ee/jo...
2016-02-0343 min