This story, written by a cybersecurity professional and CrowdStrike customer, unpacks the market forces driving last Friday's outage. I highlighted: "I think we put way too much trust in cybersecurity nerds like me, and there’s a lack of transparency and accountability." —Harris Sockel, Content @ Medium

In many roles at work, Rizea argues, effectiveness—i.e., getting results—is the most important thing. To be effective, you need time to think and plan, and to make sure you have time, you need to manage your schedule ruthlessly. —Scott Lamb, VP, Content @ Medium

I loved this essay about first dates (but not the type of first date you're thinking of!). It's human, honest, and made me think about my relationships in a new way. —Harris Sockel, Content @ Medium

The 1968 Detroit Tiger team was remarkable in many ways, but the biggest might have been the team’s ability to bring a sense of healing to a troubled rust belt community. As a fan who grew up listening to both baseball and breaking news on WJR-AM Detroit, this brought back a lot of memories. —Terrie Schweitzer, Director of Curation @ Medium

I loved this story about changing course, giving yourself a break, and just... refusing to sprint-plan your entire life. I highlighted: "Structure and planning works wonders when there are constraints and clarity. However, in times of great uncertainty or information deficit, that effort you put into planning gives you nothing but the illusion of control." —Harris Sockel, Content @ Medium

Vegetarianism and veganism feel so modern to me. It was fascinating to learn about how 1860s plant-based folks travelled and even used their traveling to "demonstrate their physical endurance and healthfulness of their diets to naysayers," as Herring writes. — Zulie Rane, Product Storytelling @ Medium

Who knew a footstep can ruin an otherwise perfect shot? Now that I read the story, it all makes so much sense! — Curation staff member @ Medium

An unassuming title—but a great piece that understands and captures a feeling a lot of us have felt lately: 'why does every coffee shop, store, and restaurant look the same now?' Kelly Smith offers unique insight and examples on how the flatness of modern consumer spaces can be counteracted by a sense of "Neolocalism." —Jason Combs, Senior Brand Designer @ Medium

Dinah Davis explains the CrowdStrike bug for the average Jane and Joe, and it's also the first story on Medium that I see touching on the CPU architecture—security rings—that are at the very core of this issue. —Curation staff member @ Medium

I love the advice about meeting the pilot. —Sophie Aguado, Senior Product Designer @ Medium

I learned *so much* from this close reading of a single footnote by Justice Barrett in the Supreme Court's decision on Trump's immunity. It's a masterclass in the nuances of constitutional law. —Harris Sockel, Content Lead @ Medium

Thanks to this story, I finally understand how a CrowdStrike bug delayed over 46,000 flights (and lots of other goods and services!) last week. One of the root causes here is the fact that CrowdStrike needed to bypass Windows safeguards to do its job. So, when *it* failed, Windows failed too. —Harris Sockel, Content @ Medium

"Loved this one! It's such a fun example of how different cultures influence each other." —Taylor, Curator @ Medium

"I haven't seen A24's 'I Saw the TV Glow' but now I really want to. Regardless of whether you've seen it or not, there's so much humanity in this review—and it's less about the film itself than how we talk about identity and coming out, generally." —Harris Sockel, Content Lead @ Medium

"This essay, written by a retired trade union and pensions campaigner in the UK, deepened my understanding of Labour's victory over the weekend—and why no electoral system (in the UK and beyond) is perfect." —Harris Sockel, Content Lead @ Medium

"I like this simple yet profound story about not waiting until the end of your life to do something you want." —Claud, Curator @ Medium

"I loved this really interesting look at how to avoid feature flop!" —Zulie Rane, Product Storyteller @ Medium

"John Gorman's handy decision-making framework takes the typical risk vs. reward matrix and alters it just slightly, looking instead at outcomes and stakes." —Scott Lamb, VP, Content @ Medium

Poetry by Connie Song: "I never told my stylish friends I was living the lie after lie we tell ourselves because the truth is never good enough for us — to have a place in their perfect world..."

Felicia Sullivan: "Being a writer is about understanding that the work that goes into the writing is just as important and relevant as the writing itself."