Career & Work Life

Is it appropriate to give a card to someone who was made redundant?

Jess Lucas suggests it's not typically appropriate to give cards for redundancy and that an official letter might be a nicer gesture instead.

How can you simplify decision-making around habits like drinking?

Removing an option entirely (e.g., not drinking at all) eliminates the need to weigh choices in the moment, reducing the number of things you have to think about.

Should businesses offer perks like gym memberships to staff?

Rather than dictating perks like gym memberships (which imply control over employees' personal choices), consider giving staff the equivalent cash value and letting them decide how to spend it, which better respects their autonomy.

What's the etiquette for escalating a prank war?

Tommy argues pranks work like 'compound interest' — a retaliatory prank needs to be bigger than the original to actually cancel it out, otherwise the score isn't settled.

What should you avoid giving a pregnant partner for a sore throat?

Avoid anaesthetic-based mouthwash/gargle products and throat lozenges, as the anaesthetic ingredient is not advised during pregnancy.

Should I quit my job to pursue my passion project?

Tommy says this kind of advice is inherently privileged and context-dependent; he discusses a real conversation where someone wanted to reduce hours to pursue a passion project, noting that generic advice like 'just quit' ignores individual financial runway and circumstances.

How much financial runway do I need before taking a risk on a business or passion project?

Tommy argues that standard startup advice (having months of savings/runway) isn't realistic for most people, and that this advice can become an excuse to avoid pursuing dreams; he notes he and Josh started their business with just $2,000 each and no computer.

How do you avoid needing the bathroom on long-haul flights?

Josh says he avoids drinking much of anything during long flights because he doesn't like having to climb over other passengers to use the bathroom, rather than following typical advice to stay hydrated.

How can you keep experiencing 'fun' or novel moments as you get older?

Josh suggests seeking out new experiences with different people (e.g., playing golf with new people) and trying to reframe everyday moments (like getting up early) as exciting rather than just routine, since the novelty of any new habit fades quickly.

How do you keep going on a long project when the initial excitement fades?

Tommy references a book's idea that every career has ups and downs, and that people often quit when they lose the initial feeling of excitement without realizing that's why they're quitting; the advice is essentially 'don't quit' and recognize there can be multiple 'acts' or phases ahead.

How should office etiquette around bodily functions be handled?

There's no formal rule about burping or similar behavior at work; it comes down to 'reading the room' — acting one way with close colleagues/friends and differently in more public or professional settings.

How do you manage feeling overly hot or agitated before work?

Josh says he tries to stay self-aware about becoming agitated when hot or dehydrated, and will proactively buy water or rely on a smart aircon app to cool the office before he even arrives, to avoid being 'the worst version' of himself.

Should you call out people's weight gain (e.g. 'COVID kilos') publicly?

Tommy argues it's outrageous to call out someone else's weight gain outright, but notes that self-deprecating comments about one's own weight are a different, more acceptable form of self-hate.

Should you buy a mechanical keyboard for an office environment?

Josh and Tommy conclude that while mechanical keyboards feel and sound great, they're inappropriate for shared office spaces because the noise is disruptive to others.

Should you tell your employer before going on a reality show?

Matty recommends being upfront with employers about going on a reality show rather than disappearing, based on his own experience telling his Peugeot manager before leaving.

What foods are acceptable to eat on public transport?

Mason suggests that only easily contained, low-smell snacks like a muesli bar, a bliss ball, or a banana are acceptable to eat on a tram; stronger-smelling foods like mandarins, apples, or cooked chicken should be avoided, especially on a crowded tram.

Where is it generally inappropriate to eat on the job?

Avoid eating in jobs or settings with strong smells or close public-facing contact, such as perfume shops, or in situations involving visible death/dignity concerns like transporting a body, since it comes across as disrespectful or impractical.

What's an easy fallback gift if you're put on the spot?

Everyday household items like an indoor plant, a cushion, or even office supplies can work as a thoughtful-enough last-minute gift if nothing else is available.

How should you manage caffeine withdrawal after quitting coffee?

Josh suggests easing off rather than quitting cold turkey, planning to keep having a couple of cups of tea a day partly for the mental habit of still having some caffeine.

How do you build internal team buy-in for big, ambitious ideas?

Stay connected to the day-to-day front line rather than only operating at a high level, share big ideas incrementally rather than all at once, and consistently link proposed changes back to the organization's unchanging 'true north' so people can see the logic and get on board.

How should leaders balance remote work freedom with team cohesion when returning to a new normal?

Preserve the 'space' for thinking and idea generation gained from remote/distanced work, while also maintaining 'proximity'—frequent connection and unity with the team—since disunity can paralyze a business.

How do you get a project management or productivity tool to actually stick within a team?

The tool needs full adoption—every single team member must interface all of their work through it, not just part of the team, otherwise it fails to become the system of record.

How should you reflect on a decade of your life (like turning 30)?

Spend time reeling off what you're proud of from the decade, then identify things you feel you haven't done or achieved yet, covering work, personal life, and friendships separately.

How do you deal with cravings or urges when quitting something like alcohol or your phone?

Josh frames it as a cost-benefit analysis: removing a habit forces you to sit with uncomfortable feelings rather than escape them, and while both paths are hard, confronting the feelings directly is ultimately more rewarding long-term, even if it doesn't feel that way in the moment.