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Dance Together — Stop Resisting And Just Dance 2d ago

My second grader was giddy as we were getting ready for his 90s-themed choir concert. He mentioned a “big surprise” at the end that he couldn’t share. After a (flawless, of course!) set, the gym floor was cleared of chairs and the surprise was... Read

From Figma to Production: Creating Designs Developers Love 9d ago

Your design looks great and you absolutely love it. But will your developers? Is it easy to understand? Does it speak the same language as the rest of your team? Does it have all of the important details laid out clearly? If you can’t answer yes to... Read

Perfectionists, IRL 15d ago

My favorite cliché interview hack after being asked what your greatest weaknesses is to answer, “I’m a perfectionist.” Mic drop. Your greatest weakness? Also your greatest strength. Clever you. I am in no way disparaging this answer though. If... Read

Celebrate the Small Wins 23d ago

Are you task oriented? Does your day not feel complete until you’ve checked X number of things off of your list? Do you get overwhelmed when you have a million things on your plate? If so, then you’re like me. Fear not! I’m here to share some... Read

The Fantastic Machine – Part 5 – Management and Regulation 36d ago

See the entire The Fantastic Machine series → “A bad system will beat a good person every time.” —W. Edwards Deming Welcome back to the control room. So far in your training, you have toured the entire physical grid. You have seen how power is born... Read

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From 5 to 50: A Practical Playbook for Scaling Your Product Team 40d ago

Let’s be real: scaling a product team feels less like a graceful evolution and more like trying to rebuild a plane while it’s in the air. Data shows that 70% of organizations struggle with scaling effectively, often due to unclear processes and... Read

Content New Year’s Resolutions 46d ago

It’s the start of the year, and looking back at my work with colleagues over the past twelve months, one thing I had hoped to do but didn’t was draft enough guidance to serve the designers and devs I work with. I set it aside as a standalone... Read

A Brief History of VHDL and The FPGA 54d ago

The Documentation Crisis of the 80s In the early 1980s, the U.S. DoD was facing a major issue — how can we provide and give context to digital electronics design in a uniform way? A sea of vendors, integrated circuits, and complex digital design... Read

Building Better Buttons 59d ago

Buttons are the workhorse of the modern web app. Today, I wanted to cover a series of trips, tricks, gotchas, and useful approaches to make working with buttons easier and more accessible for the people who use the things we build. The screen... Read

Favorite Books of 2025 75d ago

Books read, not necessarily published, in 2025 The Simple Thread team has had an incredible year of building, research, and community — and through it all, our reading list has grown right alongside us! This year’s favorites span from cozy sci-fi... Read

Ask a Manager

weekend open thread – March 7-8, 2026 21h ago

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Lost Lambs, by Madeline Cash. As their parents’... Read

open thread – March 6, 2026 1d ago

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best... Read

HR wants me to give someone a bad review they don’t deserve, conference attendee told me I looked “bored,” and more 2d ago

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. HR wants me to give someone a bad review they don’t deserve, to cover up HR’s own mistake I am a manager for a small team of engineers. One of my direct reports was given a new role that was... Read

is my job bad enough that I should quit? 2d ago

A reader writes: Over the past few years, my responsibilities have grown well beyond my original job description. I now manage procurement end-to-end, track budgets, support multiple project managers, and draft reports. This expansion has happened... Read

updates: the proselytizing tech, the gross coworker, and more 2d ago

Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. A medical tech repeatedly proselytized to me I had an appointment with my doctor this morning and told him that one of the techs had made me uncomfortable by repeatedly discussing her religious... Read

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ask the readers: what do I need to know to successfully freelance? 2d ago

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I work in a field that leans heavily towards freelance gig work these days, but I’ve been lucky enough to work in-house for a firm since making a career change into this industry six... Read

I’ve run out of a patience with a rude coworker, “I forgive you” in a professional situation, and more 3d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I’ve run out of a patience with a rude coworker I’ve run out of patience with a difficult coworker, Mary. I’m one of the few people who has to deal with Mary in person, and my work is closely tied... Read

how do we push back as a group when we’re all remote? 3d ago

A reader writes: My fully remote company just announced that our mandatory, weekly, hour-long, all-staff Zoom meeting will now be required to be camera on and mic on for all 60+ attendees. It seems like they’re trying to recreate the feeling of us... Read

you can’t go no-contact with someone you share a printer with 3d ago

Breakups are miserable under the best of circumstances. But when the person you’re breaking up with is also a coworker, welcome to a new layer of hell: instead of getting distance, you still have to see each other every day, smile politely in... Read

employee is an emotional rollercoaster and her coworker can’t take it 3d ago

A reader writes: I’m a manager of a four-person team, on which I was previously an individual contributor. The four team members work in cubes in an open office area and my office is down a nearby hall. We’re a casual office, and the team generally... Read

can we refuse a client appointment, getting answers from unresponsive vendors, and more 4d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can we refuse a massage appointment for a sex offender? I am a front desk coordinator in a clinic that is part of a large healthcare system. I schedule appointments and assist patients who come in... Read

how should we handle birthdays at work? 4d ago

A reader writes: My workplace occasionally recognizes staff birthdays, but isn’t consistent. Sometimes there’s cake, sometimes bagels, sometimes nothing, and it’s often a last-minute announcement which can be frustrating to people who already have... Read

my coworker gives me rush projects, then disappears 4d ago

A reader writes: My workload is mostly comprised of overflow tasks from other departments. I generally like this because it gives me a variety of things to do. I regularly deal with four managers. Three of them are good to work with. One, Alex, is... Read

my coworker won’t stop interfering with my service dog 4d ago

A reader writes: I work in a cubicle office and bring a trained, medically necessary service dog named “Betty” to the office with me. I allow her to socialize with coworkers on breaks, and she is very loved in the office for how friendly and... Read

job application asked about age and caregiving, salad bar drama, and more 5d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Job application asked about age and caregiving responsibilities After hundreds of job applications in my career, this is a new one for me. I came across a required question on the application... Read

my boss asked me to join a work call on my day off … then stood me up 5d ago

A reader writes: I have a weird, complicated relationship with my boss, Amelia, who is part of the C-suite. We have very different working styles. We are both from the same Latin American country but both of us live and work in the U.S. Last week,... Read

I’m afraid my star employee is going to quit 5d ago

A reader writes: I was recently promoted to a director role, and one of my direct reports is my former boss who hired me into the company, “Tom.” Tom was a great boss in the eight years I worked for him. He’s an all-around terrific manager who... Read

my bad employee showed a ton of initiative in a personal situation — can I use that to explain what I need from him at work? 5d ago

A reader writes: I have a new employee, Joe, who has been with me about six months. The headline is that he’s pretty terrible. He lacks knowledge, his work is slow and often wrong, he lacks attention to detail, shows no sense of urgency, ownership... Read

is it OK to compliment coworkers’ nails or haircuts, saying I’m leaving my job due to its rigid culture, and more 6d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Is it OK to compliment coworkers’ nails or haircuts? I believe that comments on people’s bodies are totally inappropriate at work, and in life in general. But if someone has changed their hair or... Read

weekend open thread – February 28-March 1, 2026 8d ago

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: The Uncoupling, by Meg Wolitzer. After the local... Read

open thread – February 27, 2026 8d ago

intern won’t stop giving unsolicited “corrections,” I have bad breath and have to meet with clients, and more 9d ago

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Intern won’t stop giving unsolicited “corrections” We’ve been dealing with a troublesome intern. He keeps giving senior members of the staff unsolicited advice, corrections, and “tips” about... Read

can I ask for a cost-of-living raise after I chose to move to a more expensive city? 9d ago

A reader writes: I’m a 32-year-old professional on a niche team for a large corporation and have been in my role for four years. When I was interviewing, I was living in City A, a low-cost-of-living city that I really disliked. When I took my... Read

our employee is criticizing our sponsors on social media 9d ago

A reader writes: I oversee a public-facing department at a nonprofit. One of our long-time program managers is an oversharer. This includes on social media, where she has in the recent past criticized two of our sponsors in long Facebook posts,... Read

let’s discuss throwback bosses: managers with outdated work expectations 9d ago

In the comments on a recent post, someone mentioned that a boss once sent them home because they’d forgotten to wear a belt that day (“I wasn’t showing butt cleavage, but he wasn’t having it.”) Someone else mentioned a boss who expected people to... Read

I saw my coworker’s pregnancy announcement on TikTok, expecting candidates to relocate in a week, and more 10d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I saw my coworker’s pregnancy announcement on TikTok I was just scrolling TikTok, and a video from “someone you may know” popped up. It is a coworker of mine, whose number is in my phone because... Read

is it petty to hold small details against internal candidates? 10d ago

A reader writes: I’m hiring for some new roles in my team and this has generated some excitement from internal folks looking to grow in their careers. That’s great! I’m always happy to meet with internal people before they submit resumes/go through... Read

why are so many unqualified candidates applying for the job we advertised? 10d ago

A reader writes: I am about to make my first hire. We posted the job a couple of days ago. The job is semi-specialized work with specific qualifications. The job description clearly says cover letter and resume. Of the many applications I’ve... Read

my obsessive, volatile coworker is demanding mediation with me 10d ago

A reader writes: A new grad (“Eva”) joined our team about six months ago. She had previously interned with us and had really impressed us with her knowledge, efficiency, and proactive approach. As a seasoned member of the team, I went out of my way... Read

my coworker is in a cult, acting like people are late to a meeting if they aren’t early, and more 11d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker is in a cult and it’s affecting my work A new junior staff person joined my department about a year ago. About six months in, they asked if they could start working remotely because... Read

my employee complained about me to HR 11d ago

A reader writes: I supervise two employees, Charlie and Lucy, and share a third, Linus. Lucy has strong weeks and weaker weeks, overall fine, but needs regular reminders and is far from perfect. Charlie is new but a really solid employee. He has... Read

everything you need to know about snow days at work 11d ago

With the snow storm that hit much of the eastern part of the U.S. this week, you might be wondering whether you get paid when your office is closed, if your employer can require you to work despite the storm, and other questions that arise when... Read

my company doesn’t “do” raises, ever 11d ago

A reader writes: I work for a company of about 40 employees that says they “don’t give raises.” It’s in a field that is traditionally freelance, so having a full-time salaried position with benefits while doing this work is slightly unusual, but... Read

my coworker doesn’t want me to lift heavy boxes, how much detail should I share in a phone screen, and more 12d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker doesn’t want me to lift heavy boxes I work in a supply store that sells a variety of goods and also does returns for a large, very well-known company. One of my coworkers, a... Read

should we have to use PTO to attend a work conference? 12d ago

A reader writes: I work for a small nonprofit in the U.S. A colleague and I were invited to attend a conference later this year through our service on an external committee where we represent our agency. All conference expenses would be covered by... Read

surprise phone interviews are the worst 12d ago

A reader writes: I’ve been job searching for a few months now. I just got a call from HR at an organization I applied to a few weeks ago asking me if they had a few minutes to chat — they wanted to go through the position with me, give me some... Read

if people don’t celebrate holidays for religious reasons, can we take away their holiday perks? 12d ago

A reader writes: I have a few employees who have told us they do not celebrate birthdays, but they do sit to eat the lunch the company buys for the birthday person and then leave when it’s time to sing “happy birthday.” (One of them asks for cake... Read

employee was upset they had to use PTO for bereavement, boss is friends with my husband, and more 13d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee was upset they had to use PTO for bereavement leave A few years ago, I worked at a large nonprofit that had generous PTO, but no other “buckets” of time. Sick, vacation, family care, all... Read

weekend open thread – February 21-22, 2026 15d ago

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. We fostered and then quickly adopted Laurie in 2020, during the first week of the... Read

open thread – February 20, 2026 15d ago

my boss did a racist impression of a coworker, can I have the same schedule flexibility as our CEO, and more 16d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss did a racist impression of a coworker I’m on a small, mostly autonomous support team in a medium-sized company. We had company-wide training yesterday. My coworker Amy couldn’t attend in... Read

will my angry work friend harm my reputation? 16d ago

A reader writes: I’ve become very good friends both in and out of work with a small group of colleagues (four total). This question is about one of them, Samantha. Samantha has always been a bit dry and sarcastic in her sense of humor. Over the... Read

updates: swearing at work, letting difficult coworkers be wrong, and more 16d ago

Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. How common is swearing at work? (#2 at the link) I always thought that if you answered a question for me, I would engage with the commentariat and also send in an update! But when I saw the post... Read

ask the readers: should I leave a great city that I love to expand my job options? 16d ago

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I live in a lovely touristy small city with a university. It’s a great place to live, with lots of services and things to do for its size. I have a job in my field which I still enjoy... Read

should I tell people at the company we acquired what they’re in for, interviewer didn’t ask me any questions, and more 17d ago

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I tell people at the company we just acquired what they’re in for? A few years ago, I started at a small company which within a year of me joining was acquired by a massive international... Read

rendezvous with cassidoo

🛵 "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them." - Ida B. Wells 6d ago

Happy March! I hope your February ended well. The world news is hard to read right now, but focusing on what we can control and having a little fun is good for our brains to push forward. Anyway, time to read! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

🌅 "Change. But start slowly, because direction is more important than speed." - Paulo Coelho 13d ago

Hey friends! I'm sleepily writing to you from my couch in Chicago, after a weird week of very warm weather (also known as Fool's Spring), and I'm now watching snow fall. What a weird time. Anyway, time to learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

💄 "Imaginary obstacles are insurmountable. Real ones aren't." - Barbara Sher 20d ago

Howdy y'all! I hope your week was a good one. Mine felt productive, which is always a nice feeling! Let's leeearn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Building a View Counter for Static Sites with Supabase and... Read

🐰 "Everyone deserves the space to change and for people to recognize their change." - Bad Bunny 27d ago

Hey friends! Happy Superb Owl day! I hope you had a good week. Mine, per usual, was fairly busy, but I had some good times with family and friends, which was good for my brain. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web... Read

🔋 "The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence." - Jiddu Krishnamurti 34d ago

Hey friends! Happy February! Last month felt like the fastest and slowest month ever. I, for one, am hoping for warmer weather, better news headlines, and more interesting projects this month. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

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📀 "Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." - Aeschylus 41d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. HUGE thank you to the thousand+ (!!) of you who replied to the last issue, I didn't expect that many, and I'm so grateful for you appealing to the Algorithm Gods for lil ol' me. Thank you thank you! Anyway,... Read

🧯 "You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow." - Janis Joplin 47d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. Before we get scooting: Would you mind doing me a favor and replying to this email (or a future issue, doesn't have to be this one) on occasion? Even if it's to just say "hey" or a joke. It'll help with the... Read

🐷 "The future is sending back good wishes and waiting with open arms." - Kobi Yamada 55d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was productive, but I was also fighting off a cold the whole time so I feel like a pile. Anyway, lots to read, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week A... Read

🎆 "Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'" - Alfred Lord Tennyson 61d ago

HAPPY 2026! Whew! I hope you had a great time kicking off the new year. Let's get started! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Directional CSS with scroll-state(scrolled) !important and CSS Custom Properties... Read

🎊 "The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories." - Kate Atkinson 69d ago

Oh my word, we MADE IT to the end of the year! This is my last issue of 2025, and I'll be seeing y'all in 2026! I hope you have a wonderful end to your year, and kick off the new one with a bang. Let's wrap things up! Was this forwarded to you? You... Read

🎄 "You only get one life, so you might as well feel all the feelings." - Greta Gerwig 75d ago

Ho ho ho! I hope you had a good week! Mine was so, so busy, and I'm really excited to chill with my family and friends for Christmas this week. Until then, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The... Read

📙 "Try to create things that are an extension of yourself." - Rob Reiner 82d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was so busy, I'm still recovering from how fast time flew. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Discover Dialog CSS Wrapped 2025 Goodbye to CFE.dev... Read

🦦 "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." - Sam Levenson 90d ago

Helllllooo! I hope you had a good week! I celebrated my birthday with family and friends and it was a really great time. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Controlling dialogs and popovers with... Read

❄️ "We all have our down days, but it's not hard to smile and say, 'Thank you.'" - Yvette Nicole Brown 97d ago

Hey friends! November FLEW by for me, it was so busy! But, it was also good to be cozy with my fam for Thanksgiving. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Top layer troubles: popover vs. dialog How... Read

🦃 "A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." - Grace Hopper 103d ago

Howdy! I hope your week went smoothly! Mine was wildly packed at work, and I'm so happy to be going into a holiday week. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week How to Create 3D Images in CSS with the... Read

🤭 "Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own." - Carol Burnett 111d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was fairly busy at work, but all good things. My kiddos are finally not sick for the first time in a minute, and I'm VERY grateful! Anyway, let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

🚒 "If you're not failing, you're not trying." - Reshma Saujani 118d ago

Helllloooo! I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it is SNOWING here in Chicago as I write this. It feels early, but I'm embracing it and playing Christmas music. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links... Read

🎀 "Your voice matters. Your stories are worth telling." - EJAE 125d ago

Hey friends! Happy November! I hope you had a good week. I enjoyed being with the family and making silly CSS jokes. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The killer feature of Web Components The... Read

🫟 "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts." - Eleanor Roosevelt 132d ago

Hola hola! I hope you're doing well, my friends. I had a good week of being (almost fully) offline, in prep for going back to work from maternity leave (!) and closing out October. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe... Read

🦈 "Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." - Simone de Beauvoir 139d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. I tried pilates for the first time and am very sore... which is a good thing? Anyway, let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week A complete guide to HTTP caching... Read

🤓 "The best relationships develop out of friendships." - Diane Keaton 146d ago

Hey friends! This week felt surprisingly fast for me. I think because my maternity leave ends soon (!), time feels unnecessarily quick, which is very rude. Anyway, let's boogie! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

🚢 "The invention of the ship was also the invention of the shipwreck." - Paul Virilio 153d ago

Howdy y'all, I hope your October kicked off well! I admit the news kind of got me down this week, but my daughter was a flower girl in a wedding this weekend, so I'm happy to end it on a high note! Let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

🏡 "I recommend the freedom that comes from asking: Compared to what?" - Gloria Steinem 160d ago

Hey friends! We're going to be waking up this week because September is ending! But until then, let's kick back with some content. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week The Best CSS Unit Might Be a Combination... Read

🪖 "The love that you withhold is the pain that you carry." - Ralph Waldo Emerson 167d ago

Hey friends! I hope your had a good week! Mine flew by, and I had a great time. I'll tell ya more about it below! Let's gooo. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week All 197 entries submitted to js13kGames 2025... Read

👂 "There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people." - Vincent Van Gogh 174d ago

Hellllooo! I hope your week was a good one. Mine was tiring (what else is new?) but I had a good time with family and friends. Let's boogie. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week 100+ new CSS features from the... Read

🦺 "Life's too short to be a pushover." - Kelly Clarkson 181d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week. Mine was busy, but we got to see some family and friends, so that made it worth it! Let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Functional custom elements the easy... Read

🎟️ "Inspiration is applying what you’ve received." - Derek Sivers 188d ago

Hey friends! August is done, we're through! Finished! Now that September is here, I'll be napping and you can wake me up when September ends. Ha. But anyway, let's learn. Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the... Read

🦩 "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement." - Helen Keller 195d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was full of cleaning and getting excited for fall weather in Chicago. Onwards! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week Introduction to AT Protocol MCSS: A modern... Read

☔️ "It’s important to have something to walk towards." - Mike Monteiro 202d ago

Hey friends! I'm sleepily writing to you hoping that your week was a good one! Mine was tiring, but not all bad. Let's learn! Was this forwarded to you? You can subscribe here! Web links of the week ForesightJS A Nice Vanilla App Architecture... Read

🎽 "New sentences have appeared on earth, not written by human beings." - Patricia Lockwood 209d ago

Hey friends! I hope you had a good week! Mine was tiring, but overall good. My toddler has finally (!) started taking an interest in LEGO bricks so I am having a blast playing with her these days. Anyway, onwards! Was this forwarded to you? You can... Read

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