24 // Small Giants

24 // Small Giants

Author: Adam Wiggins, Mark McGranaghan February 18, 2021 Duration: 58:36

A “small giant” is a company that chooses to optimize for mojo instead of growth. Mark and Adam describe how Muse was inspired to follow this path, designing the business model, team makeup, and funding source accordingly. Plus: a digression into tender offers and the fine points of US tax law.

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Show notes


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
74 // Linking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:43
Linking has a rich history as a way of connecting, building, and sharing—creating the hive mind of all human knowledge. Adam and Mark talk about the origins of hyperlinks, the untitled boards problem, and measuring impor…
73 // Folk practices with Omar Rizwan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:47
Folk practices, such as screenshots of text, offer insight into user preferences and can be a basis for building better software. Omar is the creator of ScreenMatcher, Screenotate, and TabFS. He joins Adam and Mark to di…
72 // Remote work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:57
It's been possible to have all-remote teams for at least a decade, but in many ways this approach to knowledge work is still in its infancy. Adam and Mark talk about the pros of remote work like the ability to hire from…
71 // Programmable ink with James Lindenbaum and Szymon Kaliski [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:02
What would be possible if hand-drawn sketches were programmable like spreadsheets? James and Szymon are researching this question at Ink & Switch. They sit down with Adam to talk about the unlikely duo of informality and…
70 // Launchers with Thomas Paul Mann [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:57
A command line and a GUI are two completely different ways to operate a computer—but quick launchers and command palettes have found a way to bring them together. Thomas is building Raycast, an extensible quick launcher…
69 // Narrative with Mario Gabriele [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:18
In the world of tech journalism, a well-crafted narrative is part of conveying truth about the world. Mario writes weekly briefings at The Generalist, and he joins Adam and Mark to discuss his creative process for writin…
68 // Multiplayer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:07
The Muse team has begun work on multiplayer features, so Mark and Adam are pondering how groups of people can best co-develop ideas. They discuss the ad-hoc workgroups vs durable teams; the Wisdom of the Crowds; and the…
67 // Dynamic documents with Geoffrey Litt and Max Schoening [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:27
What if we could start with a plaintext note and gradually evolve it into an app? That’s the question asked by Max and Geoffrey in their latest research at Ink & Switch. They join Adam to discuss data detectors, language…
66 // Business of apps with Markus Müller-Simhofer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:02
Selling software via the App Store has unique benefits and challenges compared to selling on the web. Markus joins Mark and Adam to talk through the 13-year history of MindNode on Mac, phone, and iPad sold via freemium,…
65 // Trademarks with Josh Gerben [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:49
As a product creator, how do you prevent confusion with other similarly-named products in the market? Josh is an intellectual property attorney specializing in trademark law. He joins Mark and Adam to discuss why tradema…