The show's title alludes to the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none" and was originally suggested by Aziz Ansari; it reportedly took months for Ansari and co-creator Alan Yang to agree on the title, which wasn't finalized until all episodes were completed.

The role of Arnold Baumheiser, eventually played by Eric Wareheim, was originally set to be played by Harris Wittels before his death in February 2015.

Lena Waithe's character Denise was not originally written to be African-American or gay, but Aziz Ansari wanted her personality to reflect Waithe's own, so the part was rewritten to match her.

Ahead of season two's premiere, Ansari expressed doubt about a third season, saying he felt he needed to become a different person (e.g., get married or have a kid) before writing more stories about being young and single in New York.

Production on the third season began in London in early 2020 but was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resuming in January 2021 with Naomi Ackie joining the cast.

The opening of the season 2 episode "The Thief" shows a stack of Criterion Collection DVDs on Dev's bed, including films by Fellini, De Sica, and Antonioni, signaling the season's heavy Italian cinema influences.

The dancing scene between Dev and Francesca in "Amarsi Un Po" is a direct reference to a dance scene in Fellini's 8½, while the kissing-through-glass moment in "Buona Notte" directly references a scene from Antonioni's L'Eclisse.

Critics noted that Alessandra Mastronardi, who plays Francesca, had previously appeared in Woody Allen's To Rome with Love, reinforcing the season's homage to Allen's New York romance films like Manhattan and Annie Hall.

The series incorporates a song titled "Master of None" by the band Beach House, tying into the show's title.