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Tim Ferriss

B.J. Novak of The Office on Creative Process, Handling Rejection, and Good Comedy (#121)

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“I find that being in a good mood for creative work is worth the hours it takes to get in a good mood.” – B.J. Novak

This episode covers principles and tactics for creating amazing careers, comedy, writing, and much more. Hilarious stories weave it all together.

My guest is B.J. Novak (@bjnovak), best known for his work on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning comedy series “The Office” as an actor, writer, director, and executive producer. He has appeared in films such as Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds and Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks. He is also the author of the acclaimed short story collection “One More Thing” and the #1 New York Times Best Seller “The Book With No Pictures” (great Christmas gift), which has more than one million copies in print. Last but not least, he is co-founder of The List App.

In other words, he does a lot and does it well. What are the habits, tools, and routines that help him to do this? That’s what we explore in this conversation.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

#121: BJ Novak of The Office on Creative Process, Handling Rejection, and Good Comedy

Want to hear another podcast from a comedian? Listen to my conversation with Whitney Cummings. In this episode, we discuss turning pain into creativity, and much, much more.

#84: How to Turn Pain Into Creativity (Whitney Cummings)

This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront is a financial services platform that offers services to help you save and invest your money. Right now, your cash can earn 3.30% APY—that’s the Annual Percentage Yield—with the Wealthfront Cash Account from its network of program banks. That’s 8 times more interest than a typical savings account at a bank, according to FDIC.gov as of 05/18/2026 (Wealthfront’s 3.30% APY vs. 0.38% average savings rate). Right now, for a limited time, Wealthfront is offering new clients that use my sign-up link an additional 0.75% boost over the base rate for three months, meaning you can get up to 4.05% APY, limited to a $150,000 balance. Terms & Conditions apply. Visit Wealthfront.com/Tim to get started. 

The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“Wealthfront Brokerage”), member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The 3.30% Base APY on cash deposits is as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum balance. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where it earns the variable base APY. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new Cash Account clients) when you direct deposit $1,000/month plus maintain a funded investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms and conditions apply. Full details for both promotions at wealthfront.com/promo-terms.

Tim Ferriss, who is not a client, receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, which creates an incentive that results in a conflict of interest. Tim expresses his own opinions and Wealthfront does not endorse, sponsor, or promote them. This ad may not reflect the experience of other Cash Account clients, and similar outcomes are not guaranteed. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. See full disclosures here. 

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: In this episode, we discuss how a good mood impacts productivity. What situations do you find most difficult to overcome, and what techniques have you tried to reestablish a positive mindset? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Selected Links from the Episode

  • Download the li.st app and follow BJ Novak
  • B.J. Novak’s suggested podcasts:

The Great Debates | Intelligence Squared

Tim: Man on Wire | Project Nim

BJ: Catfish |  To Be and To Have | The Overnighters

Twitter | Facebook 

Show Notes

  • Why do so many people migrate from Harvard to Hollywood? [6:42]
  • What happened the year after B.J. Novak graduated from Harvard [13:07]
  • How B.J. got Bob Saget booked for his event, and how it opened the door to Hollywood [14:12]
  • Stories and tips for getting started as a stand-up comedian [21:52]
  • On becoming a writer-actor [29:07]
  • The tipping point for when The Office became a success [31:12]
  • Lessons learned while working on The Office [33:37]
  • The experience of working with Steve Carell [35:47]
  • The writing process for The Office: Blue Sky Period [36:42]
  • How to maintain positivity and other creative productivity advice [40:15]
  • Note-keeping habits and the creative process [44:12]
  • What B.J. Novak’s freshman seminar at Harvard on comedy writing would look like [49:12]
  • What B.J. Novak’s freshman seminar at Harvard on screenwriting would look like [54:32]
  • Why B.J. wanted to create an app [58:42]
  • Describing the li.st app [1:02:12]
  • Top lists [1:08:22]
  • Rapid fire questions:
    • Who comes to mind when you think of the word successful? [1:13:32]
    • What was your senior thesis? [1:13:52]
    • Most gifted books [1:14:37]
    • If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? [1:15:37]
    • Do you have any bad habits that you’re working on? [1:16:22]
    • Are their words or phrases that you overuse? [1:17:05]
    • Best purchase that you’ve made in recent memory for less than $100 [1:18:52]
    • Favorite documentaries [1:19:36]
    • How to ‘power up’ in the morning [1:21:47]
    • Is there a particular time of day when you do your best writing? [1:24:00]
    • Examples of good comedy writing TV shows [1:24:42]
    • What historical figure do you most identify with? [1:25:15]
  • Advice to an aspiring comedy writer [1:27:02]
  • Advice to your 30-year-old self [1:29:47]

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