This Process is a Mess

This Process is a Mess

March 5, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

Tara McMullin shares a behind-the-scenes look at the messy process of creating compelling content through a case study of an article she published.

I live for people explaining how they approach analysis and critique. I desperately want to know how other people think about things so I can learn to think in new ways. I want a compelling intellectual or journalistic project, but I also want to know how it was conceived and executed. I hope you enjoy hearing that kind of behind-the-scenes, too, because that's exactly what this episode is. It's a case study that I shared with the last cohort of Making Sense, my 8-week program for turning "Wait, what?!" moments into compelling content, explaining how an article I published last year came together. You'll hear just how messy the process (and why working through it is worth it). Footnotes: Read the article version of this episode. Check out Mia Sato's article about dupes for The Verge and her TikTok video explaining how she approached the topic. " Drafting Towards the Status Quo " on What Works “ Wait, What?! ” on What Works Learn more about Making Sense! ★ Support this podcast ★

More episodes of What Works

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the What Works podcast page.