Adam Wiggins and Mark McGranaghan host Metamuse, a conversation rooted in their deep experience building tools for creative work. This podcast lives in the space where abstract thinking meets practical craft, regularly exploring how we shape our tools and how those tools, in turn, shape our thoughts and output. You’ll hear detailed discussions on product design philosophy, the evolving landscape of software for thought, and the often messy process of cultivating good ideas. The tone is reflective and nuanced, favoring depth over headlines, as they examine the principles behind the interfaces and the systems that influence how we create. It’s for anyone who has ever been curious about the why behind the tools they use daily, from note-taking apps to complex design platforms. Each episode of this podcast feels like a thoughtful dialogue between two practitioners who are actively engaged in the problems they discuss, making the insights feel earned rather than theoretical. Tune in for a consistently substantive look at the intersection of technology, design, and cognition.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Metamuse
Podcast Episodes
54 // Support [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:47
Customer support is sometimes an afterthought for tech product companies, but it can be one of the most important parts of user experience. Mark and Adam discuss using support as a type of user interview; how to balance…
53 // Career with swyx [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:53
Your career is more than just a way to earn a living—it's a foundation for leading the kind of life you want. Shawn joins Mark and Adam to talk about navigating the non-linear course of a career; whether to correct weakn…
52 // Product launches [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:53
If you’ve built a great product, a launch is how the world can find out about it. Adam and Mark discuss the anatomy of a product launches, including creating a “moment” in your social graph; why you should decouple produ…
51 // Personal brand with Brian Lovin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:20
Meeting potential collaborators online is easier when you represent yourself through a personal brand. Brian Lovin is a designer at GitHub, a podcaster at Design Details, and a prolific online maker. He joins Mark and Ad…
50 // Build in public with Pirijan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:46
What’s the best way for a solo entrepreneur to market their product? Pirijan is creating Kinopio, a spatial canvas on the web, and he publishes new features as screenshots or short demo videos on Twitter. He talks with M…
49 // Software longevity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:46
The great works of human civilization can last for centuries—but software often decays in just a tiny fraction of that time. How much should this concern us in this increasingly-digital age? And as software creators, wha…
48 // Rich text with Slim Lim [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:48
Rich text editing is a foundational interaction in productivity software. Slim joins Mark and Adam to explain how rich text is more than just bold and italics for prose, but also includes math equations, diagrams, slides…
47 // Designing creative tools with David Hoang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:23
Designing tools for creators is harder than consumer software, but also potentially more rewarding. David leads design at Webflow, and he joins Adam and Mark to talk about mental models, opinionated versus open-ended too…
46 // Industrial research with Peter van Hardenberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:25
Ink & Switch is a research lab inspired by Bells Labs and Xerox PARC. Peter is lab director, and he joins Adam and Mark to discuss DARPA-hard problems; the Ink & Switch academic-meets-web essay format; and how an indepen…
45 // Native apps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:27
With Muse for Mac on the horizon, the team convenes to discuss the merits of native apps versus web technologies like Electron. Discussion points include the conflict between brand identity and apps that feel true to the…