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Plus, stop stealing dreams.Akimbo is a weekly podcast created by Seth Godin. He's the bestselling author of 20 books and a long-time entrepreneur, freelancer and teacher.You can find out more about Seth by reading his daily blog at seths.blog and about the podcast at akimbo.link.To submit a question and to see the show notes, please visit akimbo.link and press the appropriate button. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When companies began instituting return-to-office plans after the pandemic, a disproportionate number of women chose instead to leave the workforce. Why? The obvious answer is that they wanted the flexibility of remote work. But in this episode, Cal draws on a recent New York Times op-ed that offers a deeper explanation – one that affects all knowledge workers. He then explores solutions to the problem, answers listener questions, and (God help him) respond to comments on his recent Superintelligence episode.Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: The Flexibility Myth [0:02]How should a venture backed startup team design their work schedule? [51:42]How do I stop my boss from e-mailing me at all hours? [57:02]How should a professor on break schedule his deep work? [1:02:35]How can I better schedule my blocks to prepare for technical interviews? [1:09:59]When considering lifestyle-centric planning, what practices may help determine the type of work to pursue? [1:12:16]CASE STUDY: Completing a Thesis [1:19:08]CALL: Details about time blocking [1:25:08]CAL READS THE COMMENTS: The Case Against Superintelligence [1:33:58]Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?nytimes.com/2025/11/02/opinion/women-work-force-flexibility-shifts.htmlyoutube.com/watch?v=y0RI5CnoDvsThanks to our Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. betterhelp.com/deepquestionsexpressvpn.com/deepshopify.com/deepmybodytutor.comThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I get this question a lot, so here’s my honest answer.

Dr. Naomi Stanford is an expert in creating models to make organisations work better. Having begun in her career creating organisation design for large multinational companies such as British Airways and Marks and Spencer, she has gone on to help shape workflow in the public sector for both the US and UK governments. She is the author of several books, the latest of which is a revised edition of Designing Organisations: Why It Matters and Ways to Do it Well, published in collaboration with The Economist. She speaks to broadcaster, author and specialist in economic policy, Linda Yueh, about how to design businesses better.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Companies around the world are struggling to fill open positions, while millions of unemployed people look for work. What's going on? Zeynep Ton, professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, says that organizations need to start offering better jobs. While old-school management thinking argued for paying workers only as much money as the market dictated and squeezing every last bit of efficiency out of them to maximize profits, the 21st century requires a new approach. This starts with higher wages but also includes more predictability and flexibility. In the wake of the global pandemic that brought essential workers to the forefront, Ton explains what companies have done – and can do – to create more good jobs in society.