The Important Thing

Follow The Important Thing
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

The Important Thing with Michael (“Rands”) Lopp and Lyle Troxell. Let’s spend a few minutes of your life listening and learning about an Important Thing.

Michael Lopp


    • Apr 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 22m AVG DURATION
    • 90 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from The Important Thing with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from The Important Thing

    The One About Exercise

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 17:47


    In our 90th epsiode, we walk through all the benefits of improving our exercise strategy. 

    The One About Fiber

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2025 15:28


    In our 89th episode, we talk about the wires that bring us the bits. And then Derrick the editor time travels. 

    The One About the Software Developer's Career Handbook

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2024 16:34


    In our 88th episode and WAY AFTER the book was published, Lyle and I talk about the Software Developer's Career Handbook. Yes, this book was published a year ago. 

    The One About World Building

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2024 24:44


    In our 87th episode, we talk about world-building, but we mostly talk about shows that we love with a minimal amount of spoiler alerts.

    The One About Gifts and Bees

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 21:27


    In our 86th episode, we talk timepieces (again), and then we somehow segue to bees. Brace for it. 

    The One About Dapper

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 15:27


    In our 85th episode, we talk dapper and how it might be armor. 

    The One About Rabbit Holes

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2024 19:25


    In our 84th episode, we go deep on the idea of why it's bad to be busy. 

    The One About Your AI Tools

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2024 24:15


    In our 83rd episode, we revisit the various use cases we've discovered with our favorite AI tools. 

    The One About Timepieces

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 23:11


    In our 82nd episode, we talk watches I mean horology I mean chronophiles or maybe timepieces. 

    The One About Notifications

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2024 20:10


    In our 81st episode, we BING talk about the BONG important BONG BONG topic of BING BING BING notifications and DING DING DING notifications sounds. 

    The One About Travel (Again)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 16:49


    In our 80th episode, we talk about travels to last summer. There was a pillow menu. 

    The One About Losing the Weekend

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2024 20:58


    In our 79th episode, we talk about situations with software that might destroy your weekend. 

    The One About Sandwiches

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2023 31:20


    The One About Magic

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 27:03


    In our 77th episode, we discuss why magic is everywhere. 

    The One About Seven Managers

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2023 18:30


    In our 76th episode, we freestyle a list of the seven types of managers on the planet. There are more, but here are seven. 

    The One About Shoes

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2023 9:27


    In our 75th episode, we're talking shoes. Only 25 episodes left… and we're talking shoes. Ok.

    The One About Powerful Organizations

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2023 21:04


    In our 74th episode, I swear we are only talking about one Important Thing, but I may be AI hallucinating.

    The One About Robots

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2023 34:26


    Everyone has AI fever in our 73rd episode where — and you better get used to it — we are talking about those robots again.

    The One About Must-See TV

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023 10:56


    Speed round episode. Things we've been watching that you must not miss. You're welcome.

    The One About Mastodon Follow-ups

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2023 16:38


    In our 71st episode, we talk about robots again, and then we follow with a Mastodon chaser. 

    The One About Mediation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2023 19:08


    In our 70th episode, the topic is mediation, not meditation, but mediation. Yeah, I had to look it up, too. 

    The One About Zombies

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2023 17:40


    In our 69th episode, the topic is zombies in the context of The Last of Us and the entire zombie genre. BraaAAaaaaaaaaiAAains. Only 30 episodes left people.  

    The One About Horror Movies

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 27:35


    In our 68th episode, Lopp and Lyle discuss Lyle's performance in a horror movie as well as the role of the producer in different industries. 

    The One About Performance Reviews

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2023 25:25


    In our 67th episode, the topic is Performance Reviews and how you build yourself by building others. Oh yeah, we talked about ChatGPT, too. 

    The One About Mastodon

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2023 33:06


    In our 66th episode, the topic is Mastodon and how quickly and efficiently it has replaced our Twitter use cases.  

    The One About Bags

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 19:36


    In our 65th episode, the topic is bags and how much optionality you require of your bag. 

    The One About the Downturn

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2023 25:26


    In our 64th episode, we discuss proactive things you can do when the sky is falling. Also, we drink wine.

    The One About Vigilantism

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2022 8:30


    Our 63rd episode isn't really about vigilantism but more about holding grudges. 

    The One About Plane Crashes, Privacy, and Police Videos

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2022 11:33


    Our 62nd episode is a little all over the place, but it works. 

    The One About Privacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 20:57


    Our 61st episode discusses privacy on the Internet: why we need more education, how much your data is worth, and what parts of privacy need to change. 

    The One About Jury Duty

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2022 12:33


    In our 60th episode, we talk about the ins and outs of jury duty. 

    The One About Mice

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2022 7:55


    In our 59th episode, we discuss why when you need to use the mice, there is a good chance you are failing.

    The One About Numbers

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2022 8:13


    Our 58th episode discusses the importance of numbers and their value in remembering things. It's better than it reads. 

    The One About Editing

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2022 10:07


    In our 57th episode, we talk about how editing makes everything better.

    The One About the Month of Podcasting

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2022 9:05


    In our 56th episode, we talk about Lyle's recent month of podcasting adventures. 

    The One About Destiny 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2022 92:16


    In our 55th episode, we return to familiar territory with special guest John Siracusa. The topic? Destiny 2 and why many, many years again, we continue to play every single day.  Interested in our Destiny Slack? Figure out how to mail me, and I'll send you an invite.   

    The One About Productivity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2022 23:05


    In our 54th episode, we revisit the familiar theme of productivity and how we swear... this time... we figured it out!

    The One About Learning

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2022 10:15


    In our 53rd episode, we revisit the prior 52 episodes and talk about what we've learned. 

    The One About Doing the Work

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2022 11:56


    In our 52nd episode, we discuss the question, "Can you effectively manage people doing jobs you don't understand?"

    The One About Names... Again

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2022 15:02


    In our 51st episode, we discuss the importance of names… and pronouncing them. 

    The One About Clothes on the Floor

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2022 50:00


    50 episodes later, we're talking about the clothes on the floor. 

    The One About Weather

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2022 6:50


    In the rainy 49th episode, we discuss the weather and weather-related detritus.   

    The One About Media We Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2022 21:01


    In our 48th episode, we review the rich landscape of awesome media we're currently consuming. Totally no spoilers. We swear.

    The One About Checkboxes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2022 12:19


    In our 46th episode, we get stuck in a place of talking about doing things. Seems like a good episode to land at the beginning of the year.

    The One About Those Shelves

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2021 17:41


    Welcome back. In our 46th episode, we're talking about the new shelves in the cave. They're big. Like huge. It's so good to be talking with you all again.

    The One About The Mandalorian

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2021 12:49


    SECRET EPISODE. 45 episodes in and we're talking the Mandalorian. Seismic charges? We have them. Bobo's Boom Stick? Yup. Lopp and Lyle talking about the most important things.

    The One about Small Things, Done Well

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 45:10


    In our 44th episode, we walk through the first chapters of Lopp's 3rd book. Learning to deal with endless meetings, understanding The Situation™, and learning that people often just want to be seen. Spend 45 minutes with Lyle and Lopp talking about important things.

    The One about Bingeworthy Shows

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2020 20:42


    In our 43rd episode, we recommend shows you just gotta binge this holiday season during our end times. (Recorded November 2020)

    The One About Charlotte

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2020 13:37


    Our much delayed 42nd episode, which was recorded pre-Pandemic, we giggle a bit because we have not been giggling enough. In this episode, we discuss why Rands names his bikes and cars, which results in some helpful therapy. Also, stickers are discussed. (Recorded in February 2020)

    The One About Writing a Book, Pt. 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2020 16:27


    In our 41st episode, we continue the discussion regarding how to write a book. Start with a clever name, find a publisher... and then write a lot. That's about it. Ok, it's harder than that. (Recorded on February 24th, 2020)

    The One About Networking

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2020 11:08


    In our 40th episode, we are talking about the practice of networking. Who does it, why they do it, and the very expected and random value that sometimes emerges from it. (Recorded on February 24th, 2020)

    Claim The Important Thing

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel