NTL: Improving In Work, Life, And Learning Subject Radio

This is the last episode of the NTL Podcast. Because they’ve decided to move in different directions Jon and Jess decided to close out the show with a discussion on how and when to end projects, how to make sure you’re respecting those you work with, and specifically how they made the decision to move on. They also share more about other projects they’re working on that will take up the time saved from NTL.

Jess and Jon discuss the complicated business of building successful collaborations and how to manage control, trust, and the flow of information in situations where there is no boss or clear authority. They also talk about a new collaboration of Jon’s (a new podcast on Subject Radio) and how to maintain a remote community or build a new community in person when you pick up and move.

Jess and Jon touch on what they’ve been reading and learning about lately before talking about their writing processes including everything from the software they use to how they seperate editing from composition. They follow this up with some unusual thoughts on setting deadlines, how you can use others to keep yourself accountable, and how regularizing things and focusing on habit formation can make all of this easier.

Jon and Jess start by touching on proactively dealing with procrastination. Then they discuss their years in review and explain their plans for the coming months. They debate the ins and outs of developing complex creative skills and whether copying other peoples’ work should be a part of this process. They then go into their reasons and inspiration for the NTL podcast in the context of the kinds of media they consume. They close by analyzing the progressive changes in the broader media landscape, how much more narrowly niched educational content is being made these days, and some warnings about the dangers of niching down too far.

Jon and Jess talk about the pressure to have new year’s resolutions, the busy circus that is December, and how they’re preparing for the coming year. They go on to discuss how important the recent sexual abuse scandals are and why they feel compelled to address them. They explain how the internet has pressaged and created the environment that allows for these scandals to be made public, discuss some parallels with the progress of the civil rights movement, and debate whether the shift in sentiment around the scandals is a momentary blip or a permanent change. They also go into their personal views on the boundaries of relationships in work and the difficulty of deciding what is acceptable when you work independently or are networking in less formal settings. They close by touching on the international impact of the scandals.

Jess and Jon trace the progress of technology since the 1980’s and how that has gradually reduced barriers to entry for many freelancers and small scale entrepreneurs. It has also disaggregated many media and creative industries. They then talk about the effects of this on the global economy, our individual working lives, and increased the return on personal development and hard skills. This trend is largely driven by the dropping cost and complexity of production and distribution methods. After that they break down how mindsets about lifelong learning, personal development, and physical fitness have changed in recent years. They close with a discussion on the illusion of talent, how we undervalue things we can’t see, how perceived weaknesses and strengths are self reinforcing, and the difference between simple skills and highly composite skills.