Respecting the Maker’s Schedule
"The best way to get something done is to stop interrupting the person doing it."
Sounds far too simple, right? In the fast-paced world that product managers live in, this lesson is often overlooked. We pride ourselves on collaboration but sometimes our well-intentioned check-ins and questions do more harm than good.
Two Worlds Colliding
Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, famously coined the idea of the "maker's schedule" in his essay Maker’s Schedule vs. Manager’s Schedule.
He explained that there are two completely different approaches to organising work:
Makers (engineers, designers, writers—any creative professional) that thrive on deep work. They need uninterrupted blocks of time to think, design, build, iterate, and solve complex problems.
Managers (anyone who is not a maker) that live in "meeting mode"—constantly context switching, jumping from one topic to the next, making decisions, and keeping everything moving.
The key difference? Managers can jump between tasks without friction, while makers such as our engineering and design partners need deep focus to solve complex problems.
A single meeting in the middle of the day doesn’t just cost an hour, it can derail their entire flow entirely.
Why Understanding the Maker’s Schedule Matters
As product managers, we live in a world of urgency—managing stakeholder demands, deadlines, sending updates, reading customer feedback. Everyone needs answers now. So, we send a sly “quick catch-up?” on Slack. But for makers, this interruption is a reset button.
Research from the University of California, Irvine, in The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress has shown that it takes about 22 minutes to regain focus after a distraction.
Now, multiply this by a handful of interruptions per day, and you’ve got hours lost just trying to get back into deep work.
Respect the Maker’s Rhythm
Makers require creativity, problem-solving, and sustained levels of concentration.
So, should we cancel all meetings with makers?
Of course not.
The fix isn’t to stop collaborating altogether. Engineers, designers, and product managers need each other. The key is syncing up without breaking flow.
It all starts with understanding the maker's schedule and treating it as a non-negotiable boundary.
That means recognising when to step back and let them do their best work.
We can do this in practice by collaborating thoughtfully and intentionally.
Some approaches that have helped me in my experience:
Async communication – Use documents to batch questions and tools like Loom to record feedback so makers can respond on their own time (e.g., for design reviews or prototype feedback).
Scheduling around their flow – If a meeting is needed, schedule it outside of their deep-work hours.
Trust them to deliver – As partners, setting clear goals and timelines upfront fosters accountability, reduces those check-ins and trusting them to get the job done.
Respect Creates Results
A 2022 Microsoft study found that employees with fewer interruptions reported 20% higher satisfaction and output.
A prime example of this is at Basecamp, a company obsessed with maker time, teams default to async updates and limit meetings. The result? A lean 40-person crew building software used by millions.
How Basecamp Communicates
The maker’s schedule isn’t just a productivity hack, it’s a mindset shift that transforms how teams collaborate.
So, the next time you’re tempted to ping an engineer mid-code or ask a designer for a “quick change,” pause and ask yourself:
“Am I helping or am I disrupting?”
Respecting the maker’s time doesn’t just lead to better products, it builds better relationships with your peers.
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