Subtitle: State of the Workflow

Myke talks to Loryn Brantz – illustrator, poet, and bestselling author – about her journey from Sesame Street and BuzzFeed to becoming an independent creator, how her poems grew into a book, and the routines she uses to make space for new ideas.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. New users get $100 in Sentry credits with code cortex26.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.

Guest Starring:

Loryn Brantz

Links and Show Notes:

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Check out the Cortex Brand store – Premium Productivity Tools

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‎Gabby - Coaching & Meditation App - App Store

Loryn's Website

Loryn Brantz – Instagram

The Good Advice Cupcake – Instagram

Poems of Parenting – HarperCollins

I Am a Spicy Nugget – Books of Wonder

Brick

If Disney Princesses Had Realistic Waistlines – Buzzfeed

Ms. Rachel - Wikipedia

Dos and Don'ts of Sharing Photos of Your Children on Instagram and Facebook | WSJ - YouTube

Amazon Is Making an AI-Animated ‘Good Advice Cupcake’ TV Show. Its Original Creator Is Furious | WIRED

Loryn's Post about Cuppy and Buzzfeed – Instagram

Designed in California — Kickstarter Campaign

Upgrade #621: Road to the Apple II: The Partnership (Part 2) - Relay

Subtitle: State of the Workflow

Myke talks to Steph Ango, CEO of Obsidian, about building tools for thought, working without meetings, managing knowledge with markdown and links, and how a seven-person team builds software used by millions.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. New users get $100 in Sentry credits with code cortex26.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.

Guest Starring:

Steph Ango

Links and Show Notes:

Get Moretex – More Cortex, with no ads.

Check out the Cortex Brand store – Premium Productivity Tools

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stephango.com

Obsidian

Minimal Theme for Obsidian

How I use Obsidian — Steph Ango

Obsidian Web Clipper

How I do my to-dos — Steph Ango

Manifesto - About - Obsidian

If you're remote, ramble — Steph Ango

Always Bet on Text - graydon2

File over app — Steph Ango

Don't delegate understanding — Steph Ango

Caloric energy is precious — Steph Ango

Obsidian CLI

Subtitle: State of the Workflow

Myke talks to Jason Schreier of Bloomberg about the realities of reporting – how stories start, how sources are built, and how he balances fast-moving news with the slower, deeper work of writing books.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. New users get $100 in Sentry credits with code cortex26.
• Mercury Weather: Forecasts, beautifully done. Download now for free.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.

Guest Starring:

Jason Schreier

Links and Show Notes:

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Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) — Bluesky

Jason Schreier | Bloomberg

Sony UX570 Digital Voice Recorder

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier – HarperCollins

Press Reset by Jason Schreier – Hachette Book Group

Play Nice by Jason Schreier – Hachette Book Group

Why 'Silksong,' Team Cherry's Sequel to 'Hollow Knight,' Took So Long to Make - Bloomberg

Triple Click | Maximum Fun

Subtitle: State of the Workflow

Myke talks to Quinn Nelson of Snazzy Labs about adapting a creative workflow after becoming a parent – how major life changes reshape priorities, time, and systems, and how creators rebuild sustainable ways to keep making things.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. New users get $100 in Sentry credits with code cortex26.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.

Guest Starring:

Quinn Nelson

Links and Show Notes:

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Quinn Nelson - Snazzy Labs - YouTube

Spark Mail

Notion

We made the Mac mini ACTUALLY mini! - Snazzy Labs - YouTube

I Made My Own Mac! You Can Too! - Snazzy Labs - YouTube

Brick

Quinn's Home Screen

Rivian

When Did I…?

Narwhal 2 for Reddit

MDR Dasher Keyboard – Kickstarter

Subtitle: State of the Workflow

Myke talks to Becca Farsace about beginning her life as an independent creator—shaping a new workflow, making videos on her own terms, and carrying lessons from her years at The Verge into this next chapter.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. New users get $100 in Sentry credits with code cortex26.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.

Guest Starring:

Becca Farsace

Links and Show Notes:

Get Moretex – More Cortex, with no ads.

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Becca Farsace - YouTube

This is the best phone of 2025… (sorry, MKBHD) - Becca Farsace - YouTube

Why I left The Verge - Becca Farsace - YouTube

Becca's Merch Store

I tried to replace my screens with an Apple Vision Pro… - Becca Farsace - YouTube

I took 1,000 photos with the iPhone 17 Pro... - Becca Farsace - YouTube

the smartwatch that changed my mind about smartwatches - Becca Farsace - YouTube

I quit my job to become a YouTuber, here is how much $$$ I made - Becca Farsace - YouTube

Becca's Home Screen

Myke talks to Alec from Technology Connections about how he turns everyday tech into compelling videos, from topic selection and deep research to scripting, hands-on experimentation, filming, and editing entirely on his own.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. New users get $100 in Sentry credits with code cortex26.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.

Guest Starring:

Technology Connections

Links and Show Notes:

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Myke's 2026 Yearly Theme - Cortex - YouTube

My 2026 Yearly Theme – The Enthusiast

Technology Connections - YouTube

Technology Connections | Patreon

Teleprompters are clever, simple, and also pretty neat - Technology Connections - YouTube

This goofy fridge has a really clever design. It's also kinda terrible. - Technology Connections - YouTube

Video projectors used to be ridiculously cool - Technology Connections - YouTube

Catalytic converters are simple, but getting them to work is not - Technology Connections - YouTube

My car charger can boil water really fast - Technology Connections - YouTube

Brown; color is weird - Technology Connections - YouTube

Alec's Home Screen

Tusky

Pocket Casts

Good Store - EcoGeek - Dishwasher Powder

Myke talks to Marques Brownlee about how he builds his reviews, from shaping a product narrative and writing scripts to collaborating with his team, deciding what becomes a video, and managing the pressure of creating at massive scale.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Get 6 months of the Team plan free with code cortex.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.

Guest Starring:

Marques Brownlee

Links and Show Notes:

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MKBHD.com

MKBHD - Marques Brownlee - YouTube

The Studio - YouTube

WVFRM Podcast - YouTube

Auto Focus - YouTube

TickTick

OnePlus 15 Review: This is Not Normal! - MKBHD - YouTube

Do Bad Reviews Kill Companies? - MKBHD - YouTube

Wait... Smart Glasses are Suddenly Good? - MKBHD - YouTube

Marques' Home Screen

Superhuman

Arc

Dia

MKBHD Store

Myke talks to Hank Green about how he manages an impossibly full creative life — from YouTube and Crash Course to books, businesses, and Good.Store — using simple tools, structured weeks, selective meetings, delegation, and a constant flow of new ideas.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.
• Stuff: Organize your life and achieve your goals. Get 50% off your first year of Extra Stuff with code STUFF.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.

Guest Starring:

Hank Green

Links and Show Notes:

Submit Feedback

🚨 Get 20% off an annual Moretex subscription 🚨

👕 Shop The Subtle Range – Available until November 19th 👕

vlogbrothers - YouTube

hankschannel - YouTube

Crash Course

‎Focus Friend, by Hank Green App - App Store

DFTBA

Good Store

SciShow - YouTube

Dear Hank & John

Complexly

Google Tasks

Airtable

The Hardest Problem Evolution Ever Solved – hankschannel – YouTube

Hank's Home Screen

Hank Green | Book of Good Times – DFTBA

Awesome Socks

🎁 Get 20% off an annual Moretex subscription 🎁

Myke talks to The Verge’s David Pierce about the workflow behind his Humane AI Pin review, how he collaborates to make podcasts like The Vergecast, and how his Installer newsletter helps him highlight the positive side of the internet each week.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CORTEX with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.

Guest Starring:

David Pierce

Links and Show Notes:

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🚨👕 The Subtle Range – Available for a Limited Time Only! 👕🚨

David Pierce | The Verge

Humane AI Pin review: the post-smartphone future isn’t here yet | The Verge

Workflowy

Notion

Craft

I spent three months with Telly, the free TV that’s always showing ads | The Verge

Do Bad Reviews Kill Companies? - MKBHD - YouTube

Installer Newsletter | The Verge

kottke.org

Waxy.org

The Marginalian

A Thing or Two

Downtime

The Linkfest

TV Insider

Reelgood

Typora

The Enthusiast – Myke's Blog

The Vergecast

Airtable

Version History

The Rest Is History - YouTube

The Rewatchables - The Ringer

David's Home Screen

Myke's Home Screen in the Installer Newsletter

Myke's Action Button Shortcut

Notion Calendar

Remind Me Faster

Arc Search

Quiche Browser

Myke talks to Casey Newton about his workflow for running Platformer, from idea capture to writing and publishing, and how he balances reporting with access to some of the most powerful people in tech.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Nexos.ai: All-in-one AI platform for enterprises. Get a 14 day free trial now.
• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door. Use code cortex50off

Guest Starring:

Stephen Hackett and Casey Newton

Links and Show Notes:

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🎗Relay for St. Jude – Donate Today

Platformer

What really happened at Basecamp - by Casey Newton

Capacities

What I learned about productivity this year – Platformer

Google Docs

Ghost

Why Platformer is leaving Substack – Platformer

Ghost

Todoist

My dinner with Altman – Platformer

Casey Newton (@crumbler) – Threads

Hard Fork Podcast

Sam Altman upstages the critics – Platformer

Notion

Installer Newsletter | The Verge

Casey's Homescreen

Bear

Balatro

Notion Calendar

Relay for St. Jude - Donate Today

Relay for St. Jude Podcastathon 2025 - YouTube

Streaming live from 12pm to 12am US Eastern time on September 19, 2025

Myke talks to Simone Giertz about her workflow for turning ideas into products, from early sketches and CAD prototypes to manufacturing, launching, and running a product studio alongside her YouTube channel.

This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.
• Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
• Factor: Healthy, fully-prepared food delivered to your door. Use code cortex50off
• Sentry: Mobile crash reporting and app monitoring. Get 6 months of the Team plan free with code cortex.

Guest Starring:

Simone Giertz

Links and Show Notes:

Get Moretex – More Cortex, with no ads.

Submit Feedback

Simone Giertz - YouTube

Yetch Studio

The Coat Hinger – Yetch Studio

A chair built for your half-dirty clothes - Simone Giertz - YouTube

Why I spent 3 years working on a coat hanger - Simone Giertz - YouTube

Fusion 360

Patch Cap – Yetch Studio

Screwdriver Ring – Yetch Studio

Coat Hingers – Foldable Coat Hangers – Kickstarter

The Every Day Calendar – Kickstarter

The Every Day Goal Calendar – Yetch Studio

Spool Table – Yetch Studio

What I’ve learned from 10 years on YouTube - Simone Giertz - YouTube

Yetch Studio – Instagram

Edge Piece Puzzle – Yetch Studio

Why sales is the worst part of my job - Simone Giertz - YouTube

Simone's Home Screen

Brick

Microsoft To Do

Microsoft To Do

Paper Apps™ TO•DO Notebook – Gladden Design

Pencil Dice™ – Gladden Design