Less Busy Lab

Everyone needs to learn to delegate effectively in the age of AI, even if you don’t manage any humans. AI agents will research the paper, write the draft, crunch the spreadsheet, just about anything you need, short of grabbing your coffee. So why does it still go sideways so often? In this episode, Alex and Moah reveal the ways delegating tasks to a machine are the same as delegating to a person —...

Ever close your laptop and realize you're snapping at your kids over the smallest thing? You might be experiencing what researchers are now calling AI brain fry but even if you've never touched an AI agent, the underlying problem is one we all share: our brains were never built for the amount of multitasking we are handling today. Moah and Alex dig into why multitasking exhausts us (even as we're...

How much are bad meetings actually costing your company? The real number is probably worse than you think, and the dollars aren't even the scary part. Bad meetings breed burnout, stall decisions, and have a nasty habit of multiplying. This week, Alex and Moah dig into why meetings spiral out of control: the FOMO that keeps people showing up, the "meeting creep" that fills calendars without anyone...

You know you should start that project. You know the deadline is looming. So why are you watching TikTok instead? It's actually not a willpower problem, and it’s not poor time management. In this episode, Alex and Moah dig into the surprising science of procrastination. It turns out that the conventional wisdom about why some of us put things off, wait until the last minute, and even miss deadline...

Microsoft's annual Future of Work report is out, and it's packed with surprising findings about how AI is reshaping the way we work. But here's the thing: the report is mostly good news wrapped in some genuinely unsettling data. In this episode, Alex and Moah dig into the 2025 report and address some uncomfortable questions: Is AI already better than doctors? What happens to your skills when AI do...

Today isn’t just any Friday, it’s Quitter’s Friday, the day when more people abandon their New Year's resolutions than any other day of the year. Only 18% of people report success with their resolutions by year-end, but what separates the successful few from everyone else isn't simply willpower. This episode explores the psychology behind why resolutions fail so frequently and which research-backe...

Most people who make New Year's resolutions fail before February. But what if we told you that success isn't about willpower or motivation—it's about understanding how habits actually form? In this episode, Alex and Moah break down (and argue about) the science behind New Year's resolutions, from ancient Babylonian festivals to modern Stanford research. Discover why Benjamin Franklin's centuries-o...

Is AI capable of revolutionizing your workflow? This episode examines what the technology is capable of doing and what still feels frustrating. From radically faster resume screening and meeting prep automation, to saving hours on research and making sense of dense docs, Alex and Moah reveal some “easy win” strategies that can start saving you time today. They also explore the jagged edges where A...

Which world famous masterpiece took its creator 16 years and still wasn’t finished? Yet it’s the one painting everyone has heard of. What’s worse, the painter died before the public ever saw his most famous piece. He was a perfectionist, and in this episode, Alex and Moah will explore the challenge so many face, from artists to authors to even themselves: completing a project you’ve started. You’l...

What makes a company offsite productive and not just another expensive mini-vacation with name tags? In this episode of Less Busy Lab, Moah and Alex pull back the curtain on more than a decade of running offsites and hackathons for their now remote team. From a castle in Mill Valley with more Greco-Roman statues than employees to a bioluminescent kayaking adventure, they share real stories of what...

What does email apnea, Slack culture, and flow state protection have in common? They’re all part of how our digital communication habits have shifted since the pandemic—and how those shifts are reshaping productivity. In this episode, Moah and Alex unpack what’s changed about email, chat, and meetings in the past five years. From the days of “batching email twice a day” to today’s blurred boundari...

Back from vacation and drowning in emails, Slack threads, and jet lag? You’re not alone— 87% of people dread re-entry, even though only 12% dislike their jobs . In this episode, Moah and Alex explain why post-vacation blues hit so hard, from dopamine drops and major context switches to real jet lag, and share their re-entry playbook: pre-trip handoff notes, a tidy desk, staggered Boomerang returns...

Does your inbox feel like a to-do list written by other people? You’re not alone. Even as communication has shifted to chat apps like Slack and Teams, the average knowledge worker receives 117 emails per day. It remains one of the biggest sources of workplace chaos. In this episode, Alex and Moah take you on a tour of modern email management strategies, from David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” met...

We all know someone who rises with the sun every morning (or before it)… and we all know someone else who needs five alarms and a minor miracle to get out of bed on time for school or work. In this episode, Moah and Alex introduce chronotypes—your body’s natural rhythm for sleeping, waking, and working—and how they can make or break your productivity. Why do some people get up and at 'em, hitting...

When was the last time you got so absorbed in your work that time disappeared? That's Flow State, the peak performance zone where tasks feel effortless, creativity flows, and your output boosts up to 500% without the usual exhaustion and burnout. It’s the powerful psychological phenomenon behind breakthroughs from Archimedes to Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterpiece, Fallingwater. Join Moa...

In Episode 6, Alex and Moah trace the origin and history of a simple productivity tool that transformed aviation safety, helped land humans on the Moon, slashed surgical fatalities by 47 percent, and saved their own product launches at Boomerang from chaos. You’ll hear about the 1935 B‑17 disaster that birthed the first checklist for Boeing, the Checklist Manifesto research that turned skeptics in...

What do fad diets, New‑Year’s resolutions, and “miracle” morning routines have in common? They all work—until they don’t. In this episode, Alex and Moah unpack why no single productivity system can serve everyone forever, and how embracing change (like a Buddhist) is the real path to getting more done while feeling less busy. They’ll share why short‑term wins are still wins, how weekly reviews act...

Still staring at that stubborn unfinished task? Bring in virtual witnesses, set a kitchen timer, or bet money on a cause you despise and watch it finally get done. In Part 2 of our “Third Pillar of Productivity,” Moah and Alex explore how to set up accountability for yourself with various tools and unconventional techniques. They test-drive low-stakes body-doubling, share how they put up real mone...

There’s that one task for everyone. You see it. You skip it. You promise tomorrow. But tomorrow never shows up. What if getting started isn’t about more discipline? What if it’s about… making friends with gnawing rats? In this episode, we explore how to make dreaded tasks feel more accessible to get started or lingering projects to get completed. What kind of ceiling height is better suited for wh...

Ever feel buried under a mountain of urgent tasks, unsure of what to tackle first—or how to avoid tasks that don’t really matter? You're not alone! In this episode, Moah and Alex dive into the art and science of prioritization. Join them as they unpack powerful methods like the Eisenhower Matrix, flexible time blocking, and the Ivy Lee method. Hear why some strategies work great (and others don't)...

Struggling to switch off at night because unfinished tasks keep buzzing around your brain? It turns out there's an intriguing psychological explanation behind this phenomenon—and it's quietly sabotaging your productivity. In the first episode of Less Busy Lab, Moah and Alex kick off their three-part series, “3 Pillars of Productivity,” starting with the crucial topic: “Where is My Stuff?” They exp...