Maker Schedule Philosophy

Overview

The Maker Schedule Philosophy, introduced by Paul Graham, recognizes that creative workers (makers) need different time structures than managers, requiring long, uninterrupted blocks rather than fragmented hour-by-hour schedules.

The Two Schedules

Manager Schedule

• Day divided into one-hour intervals
• Frequent meetings and check-ins
• Context switching between tasks
• Reactive to requests and interruptions
• Suitable for coordination roles

Maker Schedule

• Blocks of at least 3-4 hours
• Minimal interruptions
• Deep focus on single projects
• Proactive work creation
• Necessary for programming, writing, design, research

The Core Problem

A single meeting can fragment an entire day for makers:

• Morning block: Too short before meeting to start deep work
• Meeting: Context switch and mental disruption
• Afternoon block: Reduced focus from earlier interruption
• Result: Entire day becomes effectively unavailable for deep work

Implementation Strategies

Protect Maker Time

• Block full mornings or afternoons for uninterrupted work
• Decline meetings during protected blocks
• Communicate maker schedule needs to team
• Batch meetings on specific days or times

Hybrid Approaches

• Designate certain days as maker days (no meetings)
• Designate other days as manager days (meetings okay)
• Morning = maker time, afternoon = manager time
• Use office hours for ad-hoc collaboration

Meeting Policies

• Default to async communication when possible
• Batch meetings together to minimize fragmentation
• Hold meetings at day boundaries (start or end)
• Keep maker schedule sacred except for emergencies

For Teams

Respect Maker Time

• Understand that not everyone operates on manager schedule
• Schedule meetings with makers thoughtfully
• Provide advance notice for any required interruptions
• Accept that makers may be unavailable for impromptu discussions

Team Policies

• No-meeting days (Focus Fridays)
• Core collaboration hours (e.g., 2-5pm for meetings)
• Protected morning maker blocks
• Async-first for non-urgent communication

Benefits

• Higher quality creative output
• Faster completion of complex projects
• Reduced frustration and stress
• Better work-life separation
• Improved team productivity overall

Challenges

Cross-Schedule Coordination

• Managers struggle to schedule with makers
• Solution: Designated collaboration windows

Urgent Issues

• Sometimes makers must be interrupted
• Solution: Clear emergency criteria, otherwise respect blocks

Mixed Roles

• Some people do both making and managing
• Solution: Explicit split of time between modes

Signs You Need Maker Schedule

• Feel like you can't get "real work" done at work
• Most productive outside normal work hours
• Frustrated by constant meeting interruptions
• Complex projects take much longer than they should
• Feeling mentally fragmented throughout day

Pricing

Free philosophy - requires organizational buy-in