Episode description

Buckle up, dear listeners, for the 23rd rollercoaster ride of What A Lot Of Things! In this episode, Ian and Ash embark on a wild adventure through the treacherous jungles of productivity, armed with nothing but their wit, wisdom, and a healthy dose of skepticism.

First up, Ash dives headfirst into the Figma frenzy, revealing how this popular design tool might just be the secret supervillain in the epic battle between designers and developers. Will our heroes survive the onslaught of never-ending design iterations? Tune in to find out!

But wait, there's more! Ian takes us on a whirlwind tour of national productivity measures, where GDP reigns supreme and the Genuine Progress Indicator lurks in the shadows. Marvel at our hosts as they attempt to decipher the arcane mysteries of economic output, all while dodging curveballs like the Protestant work ethic and the ever-looming specter of eternal damnation for the lazy.

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one episode, you'll be treated to a thrilling exposé on Ilkley's car-free utopia (spoiler: Range Rovers may lose a few parts), and Ash's daring exploits in the Yorkshireman Trail Marathon (where hydro-engineering meets masochism). Our intrepid hosts even find time for a rousing debate on the merits of aerosol cheese (truly the pinnacle of human achievement) and welcome unexpected cameos from Monty Python, Jacob Rees-Mogg, and a clicky laptop fan.

So grab your productivity hats and join Ian and Ash as they attempt to solve the great productivity puzzle. Will they increase the podcast's Genuine Progress Indicator? Will they finally achieve inbox zero? Or will they simply end up confused and covered in aerosol cheese? There's only one way to find out in this uproarious episode of What A Lot Of Things!

Links

• Figma and No Handoff's Why I moved on from Figma.
• The Productivity Policy Institute and their article What explains the UK productivity problem? 
• The Global Innovation Index from the World Intellectual Property Organisation
• Max Weber and his concept of the Protestant Work Ethic in which he asserted that Protestant ethics and values, along with the Calvinist doctrines of asceticism and predestination, enabled the rise and spread of capitalism. 
• Ilkley's Car Free Festival held this year on 22nd September 2024
• Ash's blog and the Leeds Testing Atelier.
• Haworth in the Brontë country, where the Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon takes place. Oh, and the 2024 results!
• The Kagi search engine used by Ian
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) although this also stands for Global Peace Index which is what you'll get if you search GPI.

Finally, get in touch!

Join the What a lot of Things LinkedIn group to hear Ash's hot takes on episode content, or email us using (as you prefer) TechnologyEeyores@whatalotofthings.com or IanAndAsh@whatalotofthings.com both carefully camel cased so as to avoid ambiguity!