The Medium Newsletter

Scary bacteria, a job-application bot, and being “smart” (Issue #283)

Joyful language-learning + symphonic sentences (Issue #282)

Solitude is not loneliness + clear(er) communication (Issue #281)

Submarines, aliens, and procrastination (Issue #280)

Black-and-white deserts + pointing at Bill Skarsgard in the airport security line (Issue #279)

Fasting, farming, and goals v. values (Issue #278)

Leaving the company you founded + writing about your obsessions (Issue #277)

Five-minute piano breaks + opening doors (Issue #276)

Mutual aid, how to be humble, and starting small (Issue #275)

Strategy for beginners, how Starbucks lost its soul, and a food safety pointer (Issue #274)

Issue #273: the “false prophets” of poverty, Socrates, and letting go

Issue #272: born before SNL + the art of self-differentiation

Issue #271: the top highlights on Medium lately + brevity at work

Issue #270: revisiting the Palisades + hedgehogs

Issue #269: the first-ever Medium story + who to forget

Issue #268: herds, heroes’ journeys, and lonely mouths

Issue #267: the past is in front of you, spiteful biology, and 80 years of symbolism

Issue #266: your responses to academia’s paper mill problem, 12x-ing humanity, and luck

Issue #265: auditioning for SNL, an engineer’s Hippocratic Oath, and waking up at 5 a.m

Issue #264: confessions of a healthcare comms lead, executive orders, and brown noise

Issue #263: fibroids, catfishing, and simmer pots

Issue #262: balancing confidence and humility, serious hobbies, and hi-res writing

Issue #261: the early days of Etsy, morality rankings, and getting out there

Issue #260: journalism’s “chilling effect” + why you should write actual letters

Issue #259: asking yourself why, Brian Eno’s life advice, and courage

Issue #258: elves, aging, and burnout

Issue #257: postmodern AI, twee-isms, and sparks

Issue #256: the United States of Breakfast, midlife crises, and having fun

Issue #255: laughtivism, DeepSeek, and compartmentalization

Issue #254: Severance, subtweets, and sauce

Issue #253: scrobbling, sign language, and self-perception

Issue #252: birthright citizenship, God writes a novel, and giving yourself permission to put down the weight

Issue #251: letting go of assumptions + self-imposed urgency

Issue #250: foraging, pickling, and dead husbands who haunt your dreams

Issue #249: autofiction, Carter’s legacy, and making good memories

Issue #248: moderation, small language models, David Lynch, and post-death password sharing

Issue #247: Excalidraw, luck, and tea

Issue #246: wildfires, knives, and lesser-known reading recs

Issue #245: making a mobile game, empathy v. accountability, and a procrastination tip

Issue #244: Louise Bourgeois, imperfect information, and the best outdoor photography gear

Issue #243: literary rejections, good storytelling, and unconscious envy

Issue #242: wildfire policy, vibe curators, and optimizing for understanding

Issue #241: salt, Jimmy Carter, and the Golden Globes

Issue #240: who the Pope would play in Baldur’s Gate 3 and a good reason to read more

Issue #239: jungle gym careers, Billie Holiday, and questioning your defaults

Issue #238: better meetings + blob people

Issue #237: weird libraries, beating procrastination, and a goal-setting technique

Issue #236: a tech copywriter’s foster care beginnings, Xmas movie reviews, and hilarious Hanukkah cartoons

Issue #235: why Spotify wrapped hits different this year + reversible decisions

Issue #234: highlights, year-end book lists, and deliberate distraction

Issue #233: ambiguity, art, and tab life

Issue #232: a muster of peacocks + starting small

Issue #231: 2024’s video game of the year, a history of hunger strikes, and texting thank yous

Issue #230: silly days, weird color combos, and the “fundamental attribution error”

Issue #229: the “new rules” of media + a cooking tip

Issue #228: how to reflect on your year + avoiding stress

Issue #227: Business models, academic writing, and planning for good sleep

Issue #226: Nikki Giovanni. Sora. Luigi.

Issue #225: An ode to details + the Three-Round Rule of Editing

Issue #224: your thoughts on the Great Barrington Declaration, and a useful quote

Issue #223: legislating social media + “the ceiling of your inputs”

Issue #222: subway mosquitoes + good opinions

Issue #221: your thoughts on AI-generated writing + a tour of Parisian bookstores

Issue #220: friends v. fans + the value of bad ideas

Issue #219: why books flop, surrounding yourself with freedom, and the mechanics of inefficiency

Issue #218: prospect theory, goal maps, and bad ideas

Issue #217, by Harris Sockel

Issue #216: podcasting is video now, design ethics, and standing out

Issue #215: Dorothy’s silver slippers and your win bin

Issue #214: aging in bursts + avoiding neediness

Issue #213: there’s no such thing as a “vaccine skeptic” + how whimsy got expensive

Issue #212: lowercase diary entries, Angular’s latest update, and the 4,000 weeks of your life

Issue #211: your thoughts on raw milk + how to persevere

Issue #210: wildfires in unlikely places, insights from an ER triage nurse, and your brain on icons

Issue #209: Milktalk, the NYC marathon-as-party, a simple explanation of tariffs and becoming the boss of your phone

Issue #208: How ‘Thriller’ was made and Always Be Finishing

Issue #207: the women who created werewolf stories and the four doors we use to determine right vs. wrong

Issue #206: befriending good communicators and a roadtrip through the 11 distinct subcultures that comprise the U.S.

Issue #205: a letter from prison + an email from Taylor Swift’s dad

Issue #204: raking leaves and making things you actually love (even if no one else does)

Issue #203: Misery, prejudice, and…finding your joy!

Issue #202: climate denial as a coping mechanism, expanding accessibility in video games, and the history of bento boxes

Issue #201: a media reckoning, a straw poll, and taking care of yourself

Issue #200: working the polls and phoning a friend

Issue #199: a hike with George H.W. Bush + doing hard things

Issue #198: the French Bread Law, ancient lawn signs, and reigning in a free-ranging convo

Issue #197: drinking the Kool-Aid and the paradox of control

Issue #196: six days until you know what

Issue #195: design thinking + asking better questions

Issue #194: parenting boys v. girls + auditing your boundaries

Issue #193: the nebulous definition of “community” and simplicity vs. fanciness

Issue #192: pet death doulas + what your therapist really thinks about you

Issue #191: listening to the “other side” and doing just a few things well

Issue #190: how metaphors influence our perceptions, and RSS-ing your news sources

Issue #189: a quantum mechanics scientist largely forgotten by history, why few women get Nobel prizes, and making MVEs rather than MVPs

Issue #188: hot sauce, getting older, and titrating your news intake

Issue #187: analyzing tech layoffs and observing without absorbing

Issue #186: untangling presidential immigration policy, and planning v. doing

Issue #185: the Nobel Prize in chemistry, dealing with bad bosses, and living with envy

Issue #184: using your past to help your community, and replacing “what ifs” with “even ifs”

Issue #183: creativity tips from Tony Soprano and what to do when you feel misunderstood

👋 Issue #182: figs, namedropping, and ASMR

👋 Issue #181: how inspiration works, indigenous languages, and doing it right

Issue #180: a worrying stat about scientific papers, 28 foods you should be eating, and reducing your personal signal-to-noise ratio

Issue #179: the top highlight on Medium last week + a clear-eyed perspective on AI

Issue #178: turning your schedule upside-down and learning from solitude

Issue #177: letters to the editor and nothing is as urgent as you think

Issue #176: goat herding, job hunting, and zooming out

Issue #175: honest classical performances, what to do in Scotland, and finally throwing away all those morning pages

Issue #174: fake vulnerability, “publish or perish,” and universal needs

Issue #173: Vitalik Buterin demystifies “decentralization” and process v. results

Issue #172: don’t call it “aging,” yodeling in Walmart, and the power of “yet”

Issue #171: writing advice, skydiving while pregnant, and just not doing things you don’t feel like doing

Issue #170: an email from 9/11, a journaling trick, and saying goodbye

Issue #169: verschlimmbesserung and clay pots

Issue #168: contested elections and bad habits

Issue #167: the best job in the military, dinosaur descendants, and passive choices

Issue #166: how political polls work, a dispatch from Venezuela, and urgency vs. importance

Issue #165: career wisdom from James Earl Jones and listening to your gut

Issue #164: the genius of stating the obvious and the anniversary of Mexico’s independence

Issue #163: Norm cascades, saying goodbye, and getting into the puzzle mindset

Issue #162: on using doors in video games, what MFA annotations can teach writers, and radical attention

Issue #161: who we were on 9/11 and talking out your problems

Issue #160: beating procrastination, becoming more aware of your social fears, and a chart for figuring out whether you’re growing

Issue #159: turning 90, MFA woes, and how to semester your life

Issue #158: emails from *that* CEO and leading with conviction

Issue #157: how to interview well, the myth of breaking through, and personal perspectives on Gaza

Issue #156: a very weird engineering interview, a dispatch from the Eras tour, and good distraction

Issue #155: becoming unhackable and clocking your flaws

Issue #154: writing with a day job and learning to ignore what doesn’t matter

Issue #153: upcycling, locally grown bananas, and the value of incomplete plans

Issue #152: African origins of U.S. words, Man Repeller, and remembering you have joints

Issue #151: getting real about how science works, and the value of doing nothing

Issue #150: behind the scenes at the DNC and why designers should read sci-fi

Issue #149: Cognitive Bias Week, drawing the DNC, and how to small talk

Issue #148: history from the inside and judging true friendship

Issue #147: gradual evolution, writing for humans, and how to make a good first impression

Issue #146: fact-checking Simone Biles’s jump height, the effects of puberty blockers on trans tweens, and dramadoodles

Issue #145: navigating anxiety, cat math, and what your Moleskine is thinking

Issue #144: how to tell what your company really cares about, the creativity muscle, and what to do in Paris

Issue #143: Reflections on reproductive health, a tip on how to make friends, and the full Medium Day lineup

Issue #142: leaving it all on the mat, telling our coworkers how we really feel, and solving problems no one asked you to solve

Issue #141: Obama’s summer sounds, saying the quiet part loud, and 30/30 feedback

Issue #140: remembering Susan Wojcicki, doodling for your kids, and the definition of mastery

Issue #139: how to disagree and commit, expecting the unexpected, and Olympic design

Issue #138: childless teachers and and pragmatism vs. perfectionism

Issue #137: making a police sketch of the Boogeyman and writing for fun

Issue #136: comedy vs. tragedy and finding your “why”

Issue #135: emotional connectedness at work, reasons to write, and cold soup

Issue #134: how to beat writer’s block and the ugly human-ness of Brat

Issue #133: how to say no, how to do nothing, and the psychology of luck

Issue #132: minimalist icons and letting yourself fail

Issue #131: breaking down complicated AI concepts, propaganda x-ray vision, and unreliable facts

Issue #130: ’80s nostalgia, medieval memes, and work relationships

Issue #129: when to speak up, OG blogger JD Vance, and the meaning behind the Brat memes

Issue #128: Time and being an executive, volunteering for science, and the power of a brag document

Issue #127: how to communicate across continents & how to be non-judgmental

Issue #126: the Backstreet Boys are forever, how to make Apple Notes work for you, and that CrowdStrike bug

Issue #125: on staying in the closet + switching teams

Issue #124: how to innovate, how to mourn, and a tip for flight anxiety

Issue #123: escaping the “Troubled Teen” industry, the digital remains we leave behind, and tips on building trust

Issue #122: becoming a better reader, shifting from individual contributor to manager, and some perspectives on the evolution of J.D. Vance

Issue #121: the definition of AI slop, armchair activism, and a better tomato sauce

Issue #120: kindness v. niceness + thinking like a 60-year-old

Issue #119: What good communication looks like, how journalists should inoculate us from authoritarianism, and how to give yourself a raise

Issue #118: an ex-FBI special agent on trust + the importance of asking for money

Issue #117: the unpredictability of heat, protecting your peace, and going where you look

Issue #116: landing a six-figure publishing deal, haiku stand-up, and unnecessary words

Issue #115: mythical monsters, judging AI, and how to grow your career

Issue #114: Anthony Bourdain’s jiu jitsu habit and how to build a reading soundtrack

Issue #113: friendship breakups, maximalist headphones, and avoiding half-heartedness

Issue #112: the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, French elections, and not taking the hint

Issue #111: blindness as a strength, how to spot a cult, and a trick for remembering

Issue #110: questioning the meaning of life, an Olympian’s defense, and a writing tip

Issue #109: the antidote to America’s all-or-nothing car culture, 500 errors explained, and how to say no to yourself

Issue #108: a Navy SEAL-endorsed breathing technique and eating what used to be alive

Issue #107: Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law, Canva-ification, and evading germs

Issue #106: speaking with an accent at work, the etymology of “gay,” and dark patterns

Issue #105: 90-something problems and bad goals

Issue #104: Reid Hoffman on Trump, (not) wasting away in Margaritaville, the history of emojis, and a tactic for unearthing your real values

Issue #103: let your kid chill out this summer, the National Weather Service’s experimental HeatRisk site, and a self-sabotage quiz

Issue #102: glass children, elderly homelessness, and the flames that shape us

Issue #101: creative imperfection, remembering Pulse nightclub, and the envy cure

Issue #100: Apple Intelligence, the case for majoring in theater, and how to reset your status quo

Issue #99: pollinators, the comeback nobody wanted, and productivity shaming

Issue #98: treating “get-there-itis”, the impact of modern life on our bodies, and absurdism as practical life advice

Issue #97: 50 contradictory truths, gardening flubs, and building a morning routine

Issue #96: distrust your data, The Ice Cream Diaries, and avoiding overthinking

Issue #95: misunderstanding the Middle East, AI-powered fraud, and how to share your ideas

Issue #94: personal (not social) media, university shut-downs, and when your skills don’t match your vision

Issue #93: why AI loves the word “delve,” bad news about avocados, and why you should only apologize when you mean it

Issue #92: audio-only meetings, the end of a 40-year ban on gay clergy, and the art of detachment

Issue #91: emotional ads, the democratization of design, and how not to overcommit

Issue #90: remembering Michelle Obama’s mom, AI-generated smiles, and DIY watercolors

Issue #89: the creator of CAPTCHA, the foundation of empathy, and anatomical animation

Issue #88: happiness = control, why you don’t have to write every day, and wisdom for entrepreneurs

Issue #87: ignoring experts, wine snobbery, and work logs

Issue #86: keeping corporate promises, a creativity tip, and layered writing

Issue #85: Unconventional parenting, engineering principles, and embracing limits

Issue #84: Busting neuroscience myths, making personalization human, and learning from bad bosses

Issue #83: Reactions to Harrison Butker’s speech, visual riddles, and a writing tip

Issue #82: Talking about the things you’re doing, going deep on backpacks, and giving feedback

Issue #81: ChatGPT-4o explained, eating carbs last, and learning to disagree and commit

🦷 Issue #80: writing tips inspired by Kendrick Lamar, Japan’s National Living Treasures program, and why boredom isn’t so bad

Issue #79: Moving in with your parents at 31 and Red Lobster’s missteps

Issue #78: Alice Munro’s writing tips and the importance of showing up

Issue #77: OpenAI comes for Siri, a new study on H5N1 avian flu, and life with Long Covid

Issue #76: a musician’s guide to punctuation, a chaplain’s advice on what not to say after someone dies, and a storytelling tip

Issue #75: A philosophy of LLMs, the moments leading up to famous photos, and how to Slack

Also today: Autism inclusion on Broadway, the science of groove, and when to walk the talk at work

Also today: Seeing through Wes Anderson’s eyes, fearless leadership, and writing good sentences

Also today: Why T. Rex’s arms are so tiny, Kendrick vs. Drake, and the power of unconditional positive regard

Also today: Swimming through the Manhattan Project, how to send good emails, and the value of imperfection

Also today: Live-drawing the Trump trial, cautionary design, and strategic impoliteness

Also today: Why are 9-volt batteries rectangular? And how not to jump to conclusions

Also today: the mighty ellipsis and a terrifying lifespan chart

Also today: Finding freedom in constraints, font pairings, and why assumptions are not your friends

Also today: the truth about virality, pushing Medium to its limits, and how to be the type of person everyone wants to know

Also today: Storytelling tips from a lawyer, rattlesnake facts, and how to avoid awkward meeting endings

Also today: The 25th anniversary of The Matrix, re-examining the JFK assassination, and strategic small talk

Today: Why big hits stay hits longer, first aids myths, and taking inspiration from Steve Martin’s career

Plus: how to find magic in the everyday

Plus: how to give the best compliments

Happy World Book Day!

An urgent Earth Day warning

Plus: Taming your smartphone

Today: A wrenching recollection, and advice on how to make requests that actually get heard

Also today: Julian Assange, an AI music experiment, not your same-old Wordle starter words, and the power of bracing for the worst

Also today: Post less, write more

Plus: The 50/30/10/10 rule

Plus: One amazing (and amazingly stinky) cheese

Also: The power of cold emails

And: A fish recipe

Also today: How flying really works, a meditation on why Sears stores are still in operation, and how to be your own friend.

Plus: Leading a meeting does not mean talking the most

🍾 It’s Friday, y’all! Plus: Typing on a 100-year-old Royal portable

Also this week: Don’t try to be happy, just be useful.

Plus: A window into Barack Obama’s decision-making process

And how to master work-appropriate honesty

A prank-free April 1 experiment

Also today: The antitrust case against Apple and a guide to making good career choices.

And how to look inward for creative inspiration

And a strategy for beating writer’s block

And the secret to telling a good story

Plus: 7 ways to spot a liar

Plus: A legal look at TikTok’s privacy policy and a rational look at your odds of dying

Plus: An internal memo from Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield

And how our memory changes as we age

And a strategy for curbing impulse shopping

And the shadow side of software optimization

Ireland’s anti-slavery history, Zen Buddhist shoshin, and the three types of tech workers

Pi Day, the web turns 35, and knowing when to work less

The psychology of small talk, an alternative to job interviews, and Kate conspiracies

And a system for getting more out of what you read

The story behind Microsoft’s new default font

Plus: A bad system will beat a good person every time

Plus: Disruption comes for Google

Plus: A meditation technique to boost self-compassion

Plus: Why company celebrations are so strategically important

Plus: Interviewing for a job? Focus on being useful

Plus: Why you didn’t get that job as a senior software engineer

Plus: Would it be morally acceptable for us to eat extraterrestrial life?

And: How Black artists are reclaiming “country”

Plus: Netflix’s cofounder on Taylor Swift’s growth tactics

…and a Twitter cofounder’s lessons for conquering fear

Plus: A brief history of art on the moon

Plus: Deciphering James Brown’s algorithmic rhythms

And how to write delightful copy

Plus: The most overlooked rule of dating

And a glimpse into the future of electric vehicles

🍄 Once again, it’s Friday! Congratulations, you made it

Also: 16 strange but beautiful paradoxes

Plus: Usher’s ode to southern Black culture

Plus: Why boring is beautiful in software engineering

Plus: Embrace being inefficient

Plus: Celebrating the Year of the Dragon

Plus: Apple’s ecosystem advantage

Plus: Why people end up in leadership for the wrong reasons

Plus: Nature photography from the Pacific Northwest

Plus: How to avoid ‘conspicuous contribution’ at work

Plus: A rodent predicted early spring, and 10 tricks to appear smart in meetings

“Apple has a long history of coming in late to the game, doing it (and marketing it) better, and creating an industry.”

Today: The lesser-known origins of Dry January