Dunking on meetings is always an easy way to lighten the mood, but for some roles one meeting really can bomb the whole day. It depends if you’re on a manager’s schedule or a maker’s schedule.

According to Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, meetings are the blisters between these two types of schedules.

• For managers: Meetings are the way you get things done. So your day is chunked out in small intervals set aside for face-to-face communication.
• For “makers” aka individual contributors: Meetings are the skull emoji. A single one can ruin your entire day because what you need is time for distraction-free deep work to write code, create a newsletter, paint the Sistine Chapel, whathaveyou.

Figuring out if you’re on a maker or manager time frame—or you fall somewhere in the messy middle—means that you can start reframing your days accordingly.

Of course, right now this self-awareness doesn’t matter because no one should be booking meetings this late in December. But come January, keep these tips in your pocket so you can control your schedule and respect everyone else’s.

Talk with your team, if you haven’t already. Whether async or in an unironic meeting, identify which camp everyone falls into. Then figure out what cadence is best for recurring meetings and get on the same page about everyone’s deep-work preferences.

Schedule in batches. Whenever possible, try to bundle meetings together.

• Managers love this because they can knock out their to-do list in one fell swoop.
• Makers love it because if their day is going to be commandeered, at least it’s all at once.

Get there early. Everyone needs at least some time for deep work, even the C-suite. Try blocking off time on your calendar for a few weeks out, so people will have advance notice to work around your preferences.

Whether you’re a manager, a maker, or a “stuck-in-the-middler,” we all have the same finite amount of time each day. So don’t forget that canceling or pushing a meeting until later is still everyone’s favorite news to receive.—CS

Last week, Netflix came one step closer to outing us as the mystery user who’s been watching Love Is Blind on the family account. The company released viewer data for 99% of its content for the first time, after years taking flak for not being transparent about its engagement numbers.

• Netflix used to only release top 10 and most popular lists for data reporting, but this year’s Hollywood strikes spurred an increase in data transparency.
• So in the most corporate version of Spotify Wrapped, Netflix released the hours viewed for most of its content—all 18,000+ rows of an Excel spreadsheet.

There’s a fine line between being transparent with stakeholders and showing all your cards. After all, you don’t want to give your competitors a leg up by tossing out too much data. And while Netflix may have thrown us some Bridgerton stats to keep us happy, other companies are guarding their info more closely.

Secret ingredients. Some call it classified intel, others call it great marketing. Either way, no one really knows what makes a Coke taste like Coke.

• The company has kept mum on the technical recipe for over 135 years, allegedly with only two Coke execs knowing the info at once.
• And they can’t even be on the same plane together in case it goes down and the secret is lost forever.

Secret pricing structure. New online retailer Quince is dominating under-the-tree real estate this year.

• Why? Because it offers “high-quality essentials” at “radically low prices,” by cutting out any portion of the business it deems “middlemen”—like storefronts and supply chain costs—and going straight to the manufacturers.
• It’s giving quiet luxury without the Kendall Roy budget, but its prices are so low the jury’s still out on its ability to make a profit while also undercutting competitors.

Secret algos. TikTok’s “For You Page” has long been the topic of controversy, from the US government voicing concerns about its privacy policies to its surprising ability to diagnose that illness you think you have.

• But TikTok is keeping silent around what actually goes into its algorithm. In May of this year, it finally promised to give full access to US tech partner Oracle after much outcry.
• But so far, Oracle’s monitoring doesn’t seem to have impacted TikTok’s ability to show you four hours of increasingly unhinged astrology videos.

Everyone loves the allure of uncovering a secret, and digging around for company intel is no exception. Perhaps that explains why we all racked up over 129 million hours watching Suits season 1 this year.

Here are three books to pick up ahead of the work lull, to help you feel like you’re advancing your career without working too hard.

If you want to become a better people manager. This book ($28) is a favorite on the Raise team because it brings humanity into leadership. Former Stripe COO Claire Hughes Johnson gives you the deets on how to build and grow a high-functioning team.

• You certainly won’t finish it in one sitting, but it’s one you’ll keep coming back to with every new situation you encounter.

If you want more DIY career development. This digital workbook ($29) may require more action than relaxing by the fire, but it can help uncover what’s truly important to you in your career. And then help you build a plan to get there.

• This one has a special place in our hearts, primarily because a) it’s awesome and b) we wrote it.

If you want to get ahead without feeling slimy. This book ($25) covers the nonobvious, unwritten rules at work that seem to drive career progress, like building a sense of belonging in the office, creating informal networks, and honing your soft skills.

Whether the last few weeks of the year are relaxing or stressful, it’s a great time to reflect and grow and eat cookies around the clock. Plus, if you do read any of these, send us your reviews.