Craft & work

What bad recommendations do people in your field repeat too often?

What part of your job would surprise outsiders because it takes up so much of your time?

What are you best at that nobody watching would notice?

Whose work makes you envious?

If you could ask a job candidate only one question and had to decide on the spot whether to hire them, what would you ask?

What is your theory of how success actually works in the field you work in — the dynamics underneath the surface?

Tell us about a time you found a clever workaround in a non-technical system — rules, institutions, or social structures — and made it work for you.

What is something surprising or amusing you have discovered, whether or not it relates to your work?

What single measurable result should voters use to judge your first two years in office?

What recurring struggle comes with the work you want to do anyway — and have you decided the cost is worth paying?

What is the worst job you have ever had?

What side project are you most glad you pursued?

Which problem are you still chipping away at?

Who makes your work possible behind the scenes?

Which thinking habit do you wish you could break?

Do you rely more on inspiration or discipline to make your work?

How do you tell when a piece of work is done?

How does a new piece of work usually begin for you?

How much rewriting or revision do you typically do?

What do you do when you feel creatively stuck?

What is the biggest professional obstacle you have faced?

What accomplishment matters most to you?

How much should instinct count in big decisions?

If you had to tell a reader what this book is really about — beyond the synopsis — what would you say?