This document contrasts the schedules of managers and makers (such as programmers and writers). Managers operate on a schedule broken into short time blocks, often hourly, where meetings fill empty slots. Makers require longer uninterrupted blocks of half a day or more to focus on complex tasks without distraction. Interrupting makers cuts their productivity as it takes time to regain focus. The document provides suggestions for reconciling the schedules such as flexitime, communicating availability, and sending meeting questions in advance.

1. Maker’s Schedule,
Manager’s Schedule
(aka: why programmers hate meetings)

2. YCombinator

3. Paul Graham

4. Manager’s Schedule

5. Manager’s Schedule
“Bosses” often run on this schedule
Granular to an hour (or half-hour)
If there’s nothing scheduled in the
appointment book, it’s a “free” hour
that can be filled in by another
appointment

6. Manager’s Schedule
Something is always coming up in
the next hour - it is expected
Ticket to productivity is to fill in as
many slots with quality meetings

7. Maker’s Schedule

8. Maker’s Schedule
Makers e.g. writers and programmers
often are run on this schedule
Granularity is at least half a day
An interruption (aka “meeting”) that
cuts the half-day slot effectively
wastes that slot

9. The worst time to interrupt
anyone is when they have
the highest memory load

10. Memory Load During
Programming Tasks
Task: modify Tetris to drop a falling figure completely
down when pressing the space key
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~vector/papers/emg.pdf

11. Programmers often need at least 7
minutes before they transition from a
high memory state to low memory state

12. Least Desired
Interruption States
During an edit, especially with
concurrent edits in multiple locations.
Navigation and search activities.
Comprehending data flow and
control flow in code.
IDE window is out of focus.

13. The Cost of an Interruption

15. The Cost of an Interruption

16. 445
142
333
870
123
777
883

17. Maker’s Schedule
They have to remember that there is
a meeting coming up
The ticket to productivity is long
stretches of uninterrupted time

18. This does not mean that
you can just leave Makers
out of the loop!!!

19. Sometimes, the Makers are the domain
experts
Meeting agendas are important
Provide a list of questions you need
answers to before the meeting and send
them beforehand
Often the Makers will already have
answered your questions even before the
meeting starts
This leads to a more fruitful discussion

20. Mindvalley Calendar

21. How Mindvalley Reconciles
the Two Schedules
Flexitime and ROWE
Monday Mega Meetings
Tristan has a minute (4pm to 6pm)
All meetings are in the afternoon
CTO buffer and attends meetings for us
:)

22. What if you’re both a
Maker and a Manager?

23. What if you’re both a
Maker and a Manager?
Time block four hours a day to devote to
your “Maker” time
Communicate your schedule
Create an environment that supports your
“Maker” time
Turn off distractions
Take breaks

24. Those of us on the maker's schedule are
willing to compromise. We know we have to
have some number of meetings. All we ask
… is that they understand the cost.
Paul Graham
YCombinator