The Standing Desk Podcast

Disclaimer: the bad audio gets fixed at 1:30! Dan and Ben revisit shorts in the office, binging vs. waiting a week for a new episode of a show, whether cable television or YouTube TV is worth it, the current entertainment landscape, AI costing more than human labor, and more. They round out the episode pitting Claude and ChatGPT against each other in a faux interview. 

Dan and Ben discuss Clavicular and all the latest jargon (looksmaxxing, jestermaxxing, mogging, etc.), an idea for fixing Uber/Lyft, a Waymo scandal, a politically divisive garment, and a ranking of corporate slop bowls.

On this episode, Dan interviews Ben about his career, odd jobs, dream jobs, virtues, hobbies and more.

Dan and Ben discuss a financial would you rather before diving into a full-on debate about working from home vs. being in the office full-time. 

Dan and Ben discuss the end of cooler talk, airplane earbuds, Delta superiority, the indoor golf league, shows we refuse to watch no matter how bored we are, rating life mantras, 2026 predictions and more.

Dan and Ben discuss the best prebiotic soda we’ve ever had, Cherry Fanta while landscaping, the final tipping rules, concert openers, bizarre uses of free will, the DC universe of diabolical content creation, the best prank of all time, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss Mr. Pibb, Sprite Zero, RFK Jr.’s impact on lemonades, the Colbert Late Night cancellation, ads before a movie, streaming vs. movie theaters, Superman (2025), 3D movies, the heat in New York vs. places like Arizona and Florida, thoughts on wearing shorts in the office, and putting former employers in your LinkedIn and Twitter bios.

Dan and Ben sit down with FloQast account executive — and former business development representative — Matt Strake to discuss chicken cutlets, good cold call strategies, bad cold call strategies, the worst cold calls he’s ever had, parrots, the nine innings challenge, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss an anvil prank, the Justin Bieber paparazzi interaction, Ben’s encounter with an entrepreneur, a life insurance sales pitch, ad structures, Kim Kardashian’s interaction with ChatGPT, and more. 

Dan and Ben discuss a surprisingly good birthday card, a Saratoga water review, popsicles vs. Otter Pops, bribery as a sales tactic, Jony Ive joining OpenAI, wearable technology and whether it’ll ever catch on, a power ranking of job perks, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss comparisons between Sabrina Carpenter and Katy Perry, hydration drinks, frozen lemonade, 100 men vs. one gorilla, teams of people who could beat a gorilla in a fight, an interesting character at a bar, rules for wearing merch from movies, plays/musicals and TV shows, AI wearable recording devices, AI meeting summaries, an app that’s essentially Uber for personal security, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss antioxidant teas, pink lemonade drinks, Katy Perry in space, an AI lawyer, Human vs. Hamster, gym etiquette, the Mount Rushmore of white rappers, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss piña colada coffee creamer, craft-brewed tea, an interesting cold call method, our ideas for cold call approaches, two LinkedIn posts about B2B sales, using ChatGPT to draft LinkedIn posts, the Studio Ghibli AI art trend, new-age baseball food (giant sandwiches and tiramisu), thoughts about sneezing and saying bless you, career advice, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss milk, the flavor “seaberry,” a corporate espionage scheme between Deel and Ripling, Amazon’s attempt at corporate espionage, Lollapalooza headliners and the criticism of Gracie Abrams headlining, a tier list of credit cards based on aura, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss root beer-flavored sparkling water, flavor chemist salaries, Naked Juice copycats, virtue signaling on social media when it comes to entertainment and work, New York Magazine’s list of impressive interview questions, immigration gold cards, the “startup mentality” of this administration, Southwest Airlines’ new bag policy, the many problems of airline seating tiers right now, there are tiers for everything now, Dan is done with Ubers, and more.

Dan and Ben discuss revenge quitting, the ethics behind giving notice, interpersonal dynamics of leaving a job, corporate catfishing, anti-perks, reverse mentoring, burnout blocking, micro-retiring, a review of the Super Bowl half-time show, and more. Ben also shares his top five of the week, which includes “Best,” and “Circle Back.”

Dan and Ben discuss compliance training, aptitude tests in interviews, matching someone’s tone in sales calls, LinkedIn connection rules, DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), Kava, Kava bar experiences, tingly mouths, R. Kelly, funding for probiotic sodas, office lighting, restaurant lighting, The Apprentice, and more. Dan also shares his top five of the week, which includes Threads and Reddit.

Dan and Ben discuss the continued return-to-office push, whether you’re more productive in the office, the arguments for full in-office work, whether we’d move for a job, whether we help the handoff of drinks between flight attendant and passenger, financial advice for teenagers, more probiotic drinks, Stevia leaf extract, and horrible sales advice. Ben also shares his top five of the week, which includes cherry red and Kelly green.

Dan and Ben discuss our fourth calendar year doing the pod, Elon Musk’s burner account Adrian Dittmann, his attempt to convince a streamer he’s Adrian Dittmann and definitely not Elon Musk, AI profiles on Instagram, apps are too complicated now, a simpler time with one-function apps, whether fewer companies will go public in the future, organic colas, movie seat stealers, an interaction with an unhoused person, and more. Dan also shares his top five of the week, which includes Hellbender and Fringehead.

Dan and Ben record in person to discuss coffee badging, Delta’s new partnership with Shake Shack, why gift guides are bad, Good Housekeeping’s gift guide (which includes bidets, an AirTag wallet, a mini chainsaw, and a password book), two drinks offered at La Grande Orange in Phoenix, the rights to a parlay as a White Elephant gift, the drones over New Jersey, and more. Ben also gives his Top Five of the week, which includes gingham and houndstooth. 

Dan and Ben discuss approaches to a work white elephant party, Ben’s white elephant gift selection this year, a crazy HR email following a company survey, the leaders in private jet miles and emissions this year, whether Elon’s cabinet position will lead to a higher adoption of electric cars, a new Liquid Death flavor, some takes on Secret Santa, Hawk Tuah’s cryptocurrency scandal, investing vs. betting, and more. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Krampus and Blitzen. 

Dan and Ben talk about their approaches to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Ben’s distaste for needless kitchen gadgets, a hot take about record Black Friday spending, a clickbait headline about robots, Salesforce’s AI sales team, AI in sales, replying to cold sales emails, receiving cold sales calls, cucumber limeade, relaxation drinks, and the Bluesky resurgence. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Platoon and Vertigo.

Dan and Ben discuss a Starbucks line-cutter, Mark Zuckerberg’s song with T-Pain, Zuck’s brand transformation, a LinkedIn post about Fortnite, a fun fact about UGGs, a rating of email signatures on a professional/casual-fight/kiss matrix, our own email signature preferences, and more. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Dansby Swanson and Mr. Rogers. 

Dan and Ben discuss a hiring manager with no empathy, the decline of fortune cookies, a fortune cookie startup idea, a military recruitment psy op, strawberry milk, Diet Dr. Pepper vs. Diet Coke, Ben’s questionable gym attire, American Airlines’ new system to combat “gate lice,” Collins Dictionary’s words of the year, and more. 

Dan and Ben discuss Instagram profile cards, modern alternatives to business cards, discontinued Guinness World Records, camel wrestling, pyramids of pennies, fat cats, untimed gluttony, eating airplanes, Ben’s alter ego, being buried alive, the record for beers consumed in an hour, boxed tea (again), Calypso limeade, the etiquette of taking calls in an Uber, a New Illuminati theory featuring friend of the show Drew, GQ’s rules for watching TV, and more. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week which includes scales of justice, a rocketship and a salute.

Dan and Ben talk about questionable interview tests, seeing your coffee shop barista in an apartment tour video, what to do when someone pays for your meal anonymously, Hawk Tuah’s philanthropic endeavors, glass bottles vs. glass cups, thoughts on autumnal drinks, Shirley Temples, a limited edition Liquid Death flavor, AI-generated podcasts, 2000s TV, and the emotional journey of binging a show. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes beating someone 1v1 on Call of Duty’s “Rust” map and correctly ranking Kanye’s albums.

Dan and Ben talk about putting in an earbud at the bar, what “having the keys to the city” actually means, the moral quandary of rating Uber and Lyft drivers, rideshare perks and the rules for tipping accordingly, a new cooler talk rating system, boxed tea, a wild Craigslist listing for a roommate, the return-to-office push, cold calling, and more. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes an armadillo and a power drill.

Dan and Ben talk about banking hours, media outlet investors, OpenAI’s latest model, some actual applications of ChatGPT, Kirkland seltzer water, carbonation levels, orange wine, a remixed song of the lie about Haitians, the smell of Fritos, chicken sticks, first class parmesan cheese, YouTuber Nickocado Avocado, the Talk Tuah pod, Kendrick Lamar performing the Super Bowl half-time show, and more. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes cheese sticks and Fritos.

Dan and Ben talk about Ben’s road trip to New York, high-quality rest stops, middle America, sports franchises that carry cities, an update on Ben’s beef with Nespresso, first reactions of NYC, subway vs. car transportation, New York City tap water, On’s branding, Linkin Park’s new co-vocalist and world tour, the Oasis reunion concert, the latest Trump NFTs and sneakers, and more. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Essentia and Arrowhead.

Dan and Ben discuss cold sales emails, ChatGPT going fully autonomous, a crazy admission on LinkedIn, watermelon drinks, Chick-fil-A’s streaming service, alternative strategies Chick-fil-A should consider, new hybrid sneaker stilettos called Sneex, and more. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Twinkies, Mountain Dew and deep-fried butter.

Dan and Ben talk about a subscription-based computer mouse, an AI-powered toothbrush, we have too much software, fake AI companies, Ford’s narc cars, a new AI companion product, Snapple cap facts, hypothetical Olympics questions, viral Olympics moments, apps have become too complicated, Deadpool & Wolverine, Robert Downey Jr. playing Dr. Doom, and more. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes skateboarding, beach volleyball and table tennis.

Dan and Ben discuss generative AI's limitations, more skepticism of whether GenAI is the future, thoughts on work event icebreakers, tips for sleeping better on work trips, the “Gen Z boss and a mini” viral TikTok, ginger shots, prebiotic vs. probiotic sodas, Chick-fil-A allegedly replacing waffle fries with shoestring fries, getting double toast at Cane’s, Southwest Airlines changing their seating structure, the CrowdStrike outage, an article about Gen Z complaints against millennials, ads and product placement in TV and movies, and more. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes the ICEE Polar Bear and Mr. Peanut.

Dan and Ben discuss fishing, a new take on pickleball, George Clooney and Joe Biden feuding, bathrooms that don’t have the occupied/vacant sign, bathroom knocking etiquette, communal bathroom sinks, the kombucha duopoly, a wild Andrew Tate Twitter interaction, who we’d be in Sesame Street, a Goldman Sachs study skeptical of generative AI, and more. Ben also shares his top five of the week, which includes Diana Taurasi and Tony P in D.C.

Dan and Ben discuss QR menus, the two different types of Outlook users (folder/rule creators vs. searchers), the Mount Rushmore of supervillains, major super villain disappointments, what constitutes a superhero, a dilemma of going into the office vs. treating yourself with the money for parking, the amenities at FloQast HQ, Nike’s new massage shoes, thoughts on why Nike’s business is struggling, an article about tips for living life on “vacation mode,” and more. 

Dan and Ben talk about an ultra-efficient cashier, a take on red-eye flights, pirate museums, a pirate-like military approach, cherry-flavored drinks, cream soda, and ideas for ways to improve airports. Dan also shares his top five of the week, which includes I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and Krispy Kreme.

Dan and Ben talk to Mike Whitmire, co-founder and CEO of FloQast, the leading accounting workflow automation software company. They discuss: His career His early entrepreneurial ventures (including a fantasy sports website, custom video game rosters, and rodent sales) The path that led him to starting FloQast His thoughts on corporate lingo The IPO process The balance of product and brand His relationship with investors The production that goes into their annual conferences The dream of having the FloQast logo on the Dodgers’ jerseys Footwear alternatives to his hybrid sneaker-shoes The worst possible hypothetical board members The vision behind FloQast Studios, their production arm Other founders that inspire him The amount of golf involved in running a business Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs And much more!

Dan and Ben discuss OpenAI’s latest model ChatGPT-4o, potential use cases for it, a purported cure for workplace depression, ketamine therapy, more dirt soda, Powerade Sour, Gen Z vs. millennial slang, shakeups to Google Search, AI search engine competitors, and more. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes a Julius Caesar costume and a graduation gown. 

Dan and Ben discuss Yuno Miles’ BBL Drizzy track, a niche hobby they discovered of people turning baby teeth into jewelry, mushroom soda, Brisk iced tea, orange soda, and Apple’s controversial ad. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Dr. Pepper and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

Dan and Ben discuss Dan’s trip to Napa, a terrible LinkedIn post, a CLEAR experience at the airport, mushroom sodas, the future of Taylor Swift’s celebrity status, an idea for purchasing concert tickets and limited edition items, an update on the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, and thoughts on rap beef in general. They also discuss Ben’s Top Five, which includes opening the door for someone and casually shoplifting. 

Dan and Ben discuss “resenteeism,” potential reasons for the decline in employee satisfaction, their thoughts on the pros and cons of the public market, their Coachella experience, non-alcoholic cocktails, hydration drinks, and a sneaker-loafer hybrid. Dan also shares his Top Five, which includes Vodka Red Bulls and Jägerbombs.

Dan and Ben talk about career advice, responding to feedback/edits/notes at work, movie reviews, GODZILLA X KONG (2024), probiotic sodas, protein shakes, nutrition tips, Marques Brownlee’s recent tech review and the subsequent backlash, NBA Finals and awards predictions, and more. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes the iPod Nano and the T-Mobile Sidekick. 

Dan and Ben discuss Amazon's "revolutionary" technology really just being thousands of offshore workers, a review of our March Madness predictions and bets, NBA prospect predictions, Detroit tap water, Bahamian tap water, and a Coachella tier list. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes High Noon and V8 Splash.

Dan and Ben discuss the rules of wearing sports/band/tour/event merch, more thoughts on salutations in emails, the frequency and style of thanking someone in email/chat, a secret about juice ingredients, the Future & Drake beef, the discography of rappers on either side of the beef, thoughts on the big three of rap, and the state of Playboi Carti’s music career. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Beach and Jackrabbits. 

Friends of the show Kyle and Cam join Ben and Dan to discuss their March Madness gambling picks (this is not gambling advice).

Dan and Ben discuss Kate Middleton’s disappearance, the potential TikTok ban, fennel-flavored gum, mango juice, the mini Trader Joe’s tote bag craze, card collections, the job application process, the college-internship-job pipeline, and shopping for locked-up toiletries. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Witness Protection and Mr. Rogers’ Land of Make-Believe.

Apologies for the audio issues! Dan and Ben discuss musical artist partnerships with video games, Disney’s investment in Fortnite creator Epic Games, pre-scuffed and pre-distressed sneakers, hog calling, a “husband calling” competition, and an inspirational quote. They also play a game where Ben tries to discern the human LinkedIn post from the ChatGPT LinkedIn posts, and Dan shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Mountain Dew and Milk. 

Dan and Ben talk about Fidel Castro’s euro step, Congress’s stock trading, Wendy’s surge pricing, cactus water, sea moss, potential actors for the modern adaptation of American Psycho, Ben’s theory about typecasting, the Glasgow Willy Wonka pop-up scam, and AI video creation and the implications of it. Ben also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Druski, Michael Cera and Al Pacino. 

Dan joins Ben in LA for an in-person pod to discuss the Jehovah's Witness at the coffee shop, new grindset advice, chocolate milk, Trump's sneakers, a Trump vs. Biden swag battle, and more. Dan also shares his Top Five, which includes Jared Leto, Skip Bayless and Tucker Carlson.

Dan and Ben discuss someone’s interesting LinkedIn profile About section, Yeezy Pods, a guy going barefoot at the gym, Green lemonade, a childhood Canada Dry phase, successful Super Bowl bets, and Ben’s Top Five of the week (which includes Detroit, Philadelphia, and Miami). Ben’s girlfriend Kaitlin also joins the pod to share her experience as a seat-filler at the GRAMMYs — the stars she sat with, her moment of fame on national TV, and some celebrity tea.

Dan and Ben discuss a server saying "that's what I thought" after taking an order, Ben Shapiro's rap track, mocktails, and Trader Joe's sparkling water. Dan also shares his Top Five of the week, which includes Mozilla Firefox, BMW and PlayStation.