# The Real Waste in Knowledge Work Isn't What You Think

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/process-debt-7039689/the-real-waste-in-knowledge-work-isn-t-what-you-think.md
Podcast: [Process Debt](https://stenobird.com/podcast/process-debt-7039689)
Published: 2026-05-29T12:17:13+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/process-debt/2868874
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/293248/2868874/process-debt/2026_05_29_12_17_05_a2cb939f-6c65-4b5e-b2c1-1986061f47e3.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1361

## Resource

In manufacturing, waste is measurable. In knowledge work, it's invisible until you start tracking it. This week, Chris and Toby get into the real cost of context-switching, why the standard office software suite is designed to distract you, and what a McDonald's fry factory can teach us about why knowledge work goes wrong. They also revisit a principle that shows up in every bad rollout: we change too fast, too confidently, and without ever going to the shop floor to see what's actually happening. If you've ever ended a busy week wondering what you actually shipped this one's for you.

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## Transcript

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