What’s on your desk, David Pierce?

David Pierce is The edgethe editor-in-chief of. What is an editor-in-chief? That means, he said, “well, nothing.” I write stories and I do podcasts, and I write a newsletter called Installerbut mostly, I spend a lot of time trying to convince people to love to-do list apps as much as I do.

We asked him to tell us a little about his workspace.

It looks like you’ve set up your office in a basement playroom.

Yes, it’s a basement/office/guest room/storage closet/play area/designated dog sleeping spot, all in one. I used to have a more office-like office in our house, but then we had a kid, so now it’s my wife’s office – I was moved to the basement because I don’t mind what It’s cold here all the time. Every time we have child #2, I don’t know what we’re going to do.

Between the sofa, the liquor cabinet and the basketball hoop, not to mention the sliding doors leading to your backyard, you’ll feel like you’re in a comfortable space.

It’s beautiful here! I have deep regrets that I only purchased a 42 inch TV for this space because, with a little work and a much larger screen, it could be a really good place to hang and watch movies . But even now it works pretty well for me, especially when the weather is nice and I can keep the sliding doors open all day.

The main downside to this setup is that all of this also makes up my experience with video calls and recording podcasts. So, I’m still torn between wanting it to be comfortable and fun and needing it to look at least somewhat professional and put together. This means I spend a lot of time moving blankets and pillows on and off this couch.

Could you tell us a little about the office itself?

The desk is a black Ikea Alex desk placed on two white Ikea Alex filing cabinets. I’ve tried a lot of different desks over the years, and it turns out what I need more than anything is simply space. This desk isn’t anything special, and I really wish I could convert it to a standing desk, but it’s huge and cheap, and it gets the job done. The table top itself is starting to get pretty scuffed, so it might be time to replace that part.

The other furniture on top is from the Ugmonk’s Gather collection, which I wrote about a while ago and purchased after finishing the story. I have the 2×3 Organization Set and the Large Monitor Stand, both of which are very expensive for what they are, but I love the way they look and the story and intention behind it them.

I just had to look up the name on Amazon: it’s the “HON Office Chair Black | Ignition 2.0 | Ergonomic | Adjustable tilt, swivel wheels, comfortable for long hours,” which should basically tell you everything you need to know about its quality and fancyness. I bought it in 2021 for $332, after a lot of research, because I just couldn’t spend on a truly high-end office chair. I’ve had back problems forever, and this one has served me pretty well – it’s starting to get a little ragged and one of the arms just popped open a few weeks ago, but I’m sitting still in this thing too many hours a week. , and I live to tell the tale.

Here’s the long version: Tell us about the different tech devices you use.

My computer is a Mac Mini M1, which I love and can’t either wait to move on to whatever Apple releases next. It’s plugged into a 27-inch Dell UltraSharp U2723QE monitor, which I recently purchased and love so far. There is an Insta360 Link webcam on it.

I own a surprising amount of Logitech hardware: I use the MX Master 3S mouse and the MX Keys S keyboard, both of which are best in class as far as I’m concerned. I use the Z207 computer speakers, which are aggressively mediocre, but they were like $40, whatever.

My phone and Apple Watch charge primarily on the Twelve South HiRise 3 charging stand, which is nice and minimalist but so painfully slow that I just want to throw it out the window sometimes. I need to update this thing.

I have a 13-inch iPad Air on the desk (it’s a review unit, so it won’t be this one forever, but there’s always a tablet here) for when I want to watch something while I work or when I’m testing an application or game. When I also have something very long to read, I sometimes take the iPad and lie down on the chair instead of looking at my screen.

My podcasting setup is a Shure SM7B mic on a Rode PS1 arm, attached to a Cloudlifter (if you know that you know), attached to a Scarlett 2i2 interface, plugged directly into the Mac Mini. I use an Elgato Ring Light to make my face look less bad on camera. The other part of the setup is two pillows that I put on my desk to dampen the sound – is this technology? I use the same Sony MDR7506 headphones as every other podcaster; I’ve had this pair for years, although I’ve had to replace the earbuds a few times. When I’m not wearing my headphones, they hang from an Audio-Technica AT-HPH300 headphone stand, which is completely unnecessary but makes my desk less cluttered.

This is all that is permanent; everything else is a rotating collection of gadgets I’m testing, things I’ve bought but will definitely return or give to a family member, and charging cables. There are always so many charging cables.

You have fewer decorations in your workspace than most of your coworkers, but it’s hard to miss this adorable Father’s Day art.

I didn’t notice it until you mentioned it, but every decoration in this basement is made by a family member. My wife made the board that is behind me during every podcast and meeting; my mother painted pictures of our two dogs, sitting on the mantle behind me; and my son seems to come home from daycare with artwork two or three times a week. Sometimes it’s not very good (don’t tell him I said that), and sometimes my wife and I argue over who gets to hang up. Luckily, when it comes to Father’s Day art, I can win.

And then there’s the Lego factory, the Lego chef and the Rubik’s Cube under your monitor.

Both Lego items were wedding gifts! The plant from my wife’s best friend’s wedding, very recently – the bride and groom were both very fond of plants, and they made one for each guest. The chef is from one of my best friends’ wedding a few years ago; the couple chose the Lego characters they thought best represented each guest. I never asked him why I was a chef, but I love it. I yearn for his facial hair.

The Rubik’s Cube I bought during the pandemic, in a fit of boredom when I decided to learn two things: juggling and solving a Rubik’s Cube. I learned to juggle! I still can’t solve this problem. But he won’t leave my office until I find out. Plus, it’s really fun to play with during calls.

It looks like you’re reading Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter. How is the book?

It’s great so far! I always try to keep a printed book on my desk so I can finish my work or just stop looking at screens for a few minutes. I should probably read instead of scroll through TikTok, you know? Usually it’s a super-spy novel, but right now, this is it. Even after following and covering this story closely, some of the details are mind-blowing. And usually not in a good way.

Is there anything else we haven’t covered that you’d like to add?

You may have noticed the pile of cables hanging off the right side of my desk. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done; I drilled a hole in the back of the filing cabinet, stuck a power strip in it, and made myself a charging drawer. Sometimes I load things inside and keep them tidy, and that’s also where I keep all the things that charge on a mat or tablet or whatever, but mostly it’s just this big draped in cables. It has a Lightning cable, a Micro USB cable, a few proprietary cables for various gadgets, and a bunch of USB-C cables. It’s not pretty, but boy does it make life easier without having to fumble for an outlet or cord. Charging stations to win!

Photography by David Pierce / The edge