Cortex
Self-Improvement
About
Cortex is a show that explores how creative people think about their work — and how they get it done. Each episode dives into the workflows they follow, the apps and devices they depend on, and the habits that keep projects moving. Hosted by CGP Grey and Myke Hurley.
Episodes
- 178: The Process of Investigative Reporting, With Jason Schreier
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…
- 177: How Major Life Changes Reshape Creative Workflows, With Quinn Nelson
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…
- 176: Going From a Newsroom to Being Independent, With Becca Farsace
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.…
- 175: Technology Connections – State of the Workflow
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 o…
- 174: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) – State of the Workflow
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. Thi…
- 173: Hank Green – State of the Workflow
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…
- 172: David Pierce – State of the Workflow
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…
- 171: Casey Newton – State of the Workflow
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 b…
- 170: Simone Giertz – State of the Workflow
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 spons…
- 169: John Gruber – State of the Workflow
Myke interviews John Gruber of Daring Fireball. They take a deep-dive into how John’s writing takes shape – from capturing ideas and drafting articles to the meticulous editing behind his influential work. This episode of Cortex is sponsor…
- 168: Austin Evans – State of the Workflow
Myke kicks off the new ‘State of the Workflow’ series with YouTuber Austin Evans. They explore the apps, gear, and systems—like dual phones, YouTube Shorts strategies, and analytics deep dives—that fuel Austin’s creativity and 1.5 billion…
- 167: Ten Years of Cortex
Grey and Myke look back on ten years of the show. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX. Rocket Money : Cancel unwanted subscriptions and manage your…
- 166: The Social Network
Subtitle: Cortex Movie Club Grey and Myke watch the 2010 biopic 'The Social Network'. They discuss their thoughts on the film, its portrayal of Facebook’s early days, and how it prompted them to reflect on their own use of social media tod…
- 165: How to Win Friends and Influence People
Subtitle: Cortex Book Club Grey and Myke explore why this foundational self-help and business book remains relevant today, breaking down its core principles on human interaction and influence—and sharing how they’ve applied its ideas in th…
- 164: Screen Crimes: The Ghost Device
Grey and Myke reveal their ‘Screen Crimes’ – how do they actually use their devices, and for how long? Meanwhile, Grey is in full team-management mode, and Myke is preparing to start his parental leave. This episode of Cortex is sponsored…
- 163: Start a Timer, Make a Decision
Grey and Myke discuss how and why they track their time, Myke shares his thoughts on announcing his upcoming child, and Grey drops a task management bombshell. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Memberful : Best-in-class membership so…
- 162: 2025 Yearly Themes
Subtitle: A Cortex Special Grey and Myke use Yearly Themes to guide their personal and professional lives. In this episode, they reflect on how 2024 went and reveal their plans for 2025. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Fitbod : Get…
- 161: I Fight Prime Numbers
Grey discusses why Apple Intelligence message suggestions feel ‘anti-human’. Myke shares his current iPad Home Screens. Also, Ask Cortex questions on breaking free from the 7-day week, productivity music, and finding balance on text-based…
- 160: State of the Apps 2025
Subtitle: A Cortex Special Grey and Myke discuss the tools they use to get work done, highlighting new additions and workflow changes. They also showcase their current home screens and reflect on how their work has evolved over the past ye…
- 159: The Magnetic Pull of September
Grey and Myke talk about how they take breaks during their workdays, share some fiction books they’ve enjoyed, discuss a major change Myke is making to his tech setup, and express their sympathy for phone case makers. This episode of Corte…
- 158: Is AI Still Doom? (Humans Need Not Apply – 10 Years Later)
Grey and Myke mark the 10-year anniversary of 'Humans Need Not Apply,' taking the opportunity to share their current thoughts on AI. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Fitbod : Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. G…
- 157: Being Better
Grey and Myke contemplate the conundrum of always striving to improve in creative work, evaluate technology that significantly impacts their productivity, discuss how they handle failure, and assess the success of a viral Instagram Reel. T…
- 156: Average Content
Subtitle: WWDC24 Grey and Myke discuss some of the features from WWDC that excited them, and consider the impact of Apple integrating AI tools directly into iOS. Myke also provides an update on his email and notification experiments. This…
- 155: State of the Hardware 2024
Subtitle: A Cortex Special It's time for Grey and Myke to talk about the devices they've chosen to use in their lives. From the computers they use to the offices where they use them, as well as the devices they choose for entertainment, tr…
- 154: Workplace Therapy With Grey
Myke has new frustrations with his email, notifications, and calendar, but fortunately, therapist Grey is on hand to offer advice. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domai…
- 153: What Even Is an Office?
Can the Vision Pro deceive Grey's perception of temperature? Does Myke truly need an office separate from his home? And how quickly after waking do Myke and Grey check their phones? This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Fitbod : Get stro…
- 152: Apple Vision Pro: The Future is Here
Grey and Myke each have an Apple Vision Pro. Can they get their work done with it? What does the future look like? And more importantly, how do you even begin to describe the experience? This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Fitbod : Get…
- 151: The Second Best Time is Now
Grey is eager to learn about Myke's experience at school. Myke reviews his annual time tracking data to observe changes and trends. They also settle a wager, and surprisingly, discuss the new Tinder-like feature in Slack. This episode of C…
- 150: 2024 Yearly Themes
Subtitle: A Cortex Special Each year, Grey and Myke establish a Yearly Theme to guide their personal and professional lives. In this episode, they review their Yearly Themes for 2023 and look ahead to 2024. This episode of Cortex is sponso…
- 149: Rock, Paper, Scissors
Grey and Myke explore the 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' video: delving into the reaction, the post-release analytics, Obsidian's crucial role in making the obscenely complex pathways, and what a 'draw' means. This episode of Cortex is sponsored…
- 148: State of the Apps 2024
Subtitle: A Cortex Special Grey and Myke discuss the apps essential to their workflow over the past year. They showcase the tools that are pivotal for their productivity. They offer insights, share their favorites, and grant listeners an e…
- 147: Stacked September
Grey has found a fellow Greycation enthusiast. Also, there are new iPhones and Apple Watches, offering more discussion topics than anticipated. A conversation about browser tabs takes place, and Myke is grappling with 'The Fear'. This epis…
- 146: Unusually Spiky
Grey reflects on his recent Greycation while grappling with chaos. Myke is keen to explore a major update to Grey's mailing list. Additionally, they discuss how to determine if a change in business is critical. This episode of Cortex is sp…
- 145: Problems Are Meant To Be Solved
Grey is in conflict with a thermostat, while Myke has finished his assignment on Mood Tracking. Myke discusses the challenge of juggling the workloads of two businesses, and your hosts take you behind the scenes of a Cortex Brand meeting,…
- 144: Absurd Temperature Management
Grey has had to vacate his garage office, Myke wants to thank Cortexans, Cortex joins the Notion Nation, and Myke has hired a personal assistant. Also, a lightning round of exciting Beta features. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Sq…
- 143: Apple Vision Pro: Experiencing the Future
Myke got to try out the Apple Vision Pro – in an exclusive hands-on experience at Apple Park. On this episode, he recounts his entire experience to Grey and talks about what it could mean for the future of computing. This episode of Cortex…
- 142: Scrying Your List
Grey gets a promotion, and is trying to tame chaos. Myke gets some important news during the recording. They also cannot resist more discussion on backpacks, as well as answering some Ask Cortex questions on 'why you should always have tas…
- 141: State of the Hardware 2023
Subtitle: A Cortex Special Myke and Grey talk about the devices they've chosen to get things done in their lives. From their office set ups, to their everyday carry items, to their entertainment devices, fitness products, and more. This ep…
- 140: Cortex: In the Metaverse
Subtitle: A Cortex Special Myke and Grey bought Meta Quest Pro headsets and have been using them for their Cortex Brand meetings. They talk about their experiences with the hardware, the software they used, and their feelings on VR as a to…
- 139: The Perils of Being Left-Handed
Grey has a new 'office', Myke is using Obsidian, and they both reflect on how 'work' and 'weekend' are treating them. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Issuu : Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium ac…
- 138: The Story of the Last 18 Months
Grey wants to get serious, Myke has been struggling with a project, and they both tell the story of the Sidekick Notepad. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Issuu : Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premiu…
- 137: A Barometer of Twitter
Grey is focusing on health, Myke has left Twitter, and they've both used ChatGPT. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Issuu : Get started with Issuu today for FREE or sign up for an annual premium account and get 50% off Squarespace :…
- 136: 2023 Yearly Themes
Grey had an unexpected year, Myke has been making progress, and they both share their Yearly Themes for 2023. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Make your next move. Enter offer code CORTEX at checkout to get 10% off you…
- 135: State of the Apps 2023
Grey is going deep on Focus Modes, Myke will not switch, and they both share the apps and services they have been using most over the past year. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Trade : The perfect gift for loved ones. Get $30 off a…
- 134: AI Art Will Make Marionettes Of Us All Before It Destroys The World
Grey has seen some things he wished he hadn't, Myke tries to work out his alignment, and they both have a lot more to say on AI Art. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Make your next move. Enter offer code CORTEX at chec…
- 133: The Ethics of AI Art
Grey explores collaboration again, Myke is getting ready for the Podcastathon. and they both discuss the ethics of AI art. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Make your next move. Enter offer code CORTEX at checkout to ge…
- 132: The Actual Mind of the Algorithm
Grey released his new video, Myke has collaboration questions, and they both dig in to what upload gaps can mean for content creators. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Make your next move. Enter offer code CORTEX at ch…
- 131: A Truly Epic Sense of Denial
Grey had COVID, Myke had COVID, and they both share how this has changed their plans for the year. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Make your next move. Enter offer code CORTEX at checkout to get 10% off your first pur…
- 130: The Crushing Unfairness
Grey has requests, Myke has COVID, and they both talk about their favourite things from WWDC 2022. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Fitbod : Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership. Square…
- 129: The Wrong Kind of Munching
Grey is obsessed with City Stuff, Myke is struggling with 'Corporate Speak', and they both consider switching jobs. This episode of Cortex is sponsored by: Squarespace : Make your next move. Enter offer code CORTEX at checkout to get 10% o…