A focus on empathy, first impressions, and not being a douche.
YesHello is a playful counterpoint to the NoHello movement. While NoHello teaches us not to waste time with empty "hello" messages in async communication, YesHello reminds us that sometimes hello IS the point.
This is for those moments when:
- Your status says "Available" and you mean it
- You want coworkers to feel comfortable just... being human
- Your time is valuable & you are valuable - otherwise people wouldn't bother you 🧐
- You believe efficiency and empathy aren't mutually exclusive
- You're tired of treating every conversation like a support ticket
TL;DR: If I'm available, feel free to say hi. No agenda required. You're a person, not an API endpoint.
YesHello isn't about rejecting NoHello—it's about balance. Here's what we believe:
- Life's too short to only talk when there's a P0 incident
- Your coworkers are not API endpoints—they're humans who sometimes need connection
- Sometimes "how was your weekend?" is more valuable than "quick question"
- A 30-second "hey, how are you?" can prevent a 3-hour misunderstanding later
- Efficiency is great, but efficiency without empathy is just being a robot
- Not every interaction needs ROI—some things are just... nice
- The best teams aren't the ones that only talk about work
- Mental health matters more than shaving 30 seconds off a Slack thread
- If someone feels comfortable saying hi, they'll feel comfortable asking for help when it matters
- You can respect someone's time AND treat them warmly—they're not mutually exclusive
- 🟢 Available: Just vibing, say hi! No agenda required. Want to chat about your weekend? Go for it. Random thoughts? I'm here for it.
- 🟡 Busy: I'm in the zone, but I won't bite. Quick hellos are fine. Long chats might need to wait, but you're not interrupting anything life-or-death.
- 🔴 Offline: I'm probably touching grass, sleeping, or finally watching that show everyone won't shut up about. Leave a message!
You want to ask a question but worry it's "dumb" → Just ask. Lead with "quick question" or "hey!" if you want. I promise you're not bothering me.
You're having a rough day and need to vent → "Hey, got a minute?" is totally fine. You don't need to write a formal problem statement.
You saw something funny and want to share → Share it! Laughter is underrated in remote work. Start with "lol check this out" if you want.
Monday morning and you're just checking in → "Morning! How was your weekend?" is perfectly valid and actually helps team morale.
You're new and feeling overwhelmed → Say so! "Hi, I'm struggling with X" is exactly what you should send. We all started somewhere.
You just want to say thanks for something → Do it! "Hey, thanks for your help earlier!" makes people's day. Gratitude is never wasted.
| NoHello ❌ | YesHello ✅ |
|---|---|
| "Don't waste time with 'hello'—get to the point!" | "Hello IS the point sometimes. You're not a ticket system." |
| "Every message should have a purpose." | "Building rapport IS a purpose. Connection counts." |
| "Async communication means never waiting for responses." | "Sometimes a 2-minute chat beats a 2-hour email thread." |
| "Maximize productivity at all costs." | "Maximize humanity. Productivity follows." |
| "I'm too busy for small talk." | "I'm never too busy to treat you like a person." |
| "Everyone's time is equally scarce." | "Sometimes people just need to feel seen." |
NoHello is right when you're in heads-down mode, working across timezones, or dealing with truly urgent matters. Be respectful of people's time and attention.
But YesHello is the reminder that work is also about relationships, trust, and being human together. If someone's status says "Available," they're giving you permission to just... be you.
So yes, hello. How are you doing? 💚
- Clone or fork this repo
- Open
index.htmlin a browser - Share it with your team!
- Personal landing page: Host it and share the link in your Slack/Teams status
- Team wiki: Add it to your team's documentation
- Browser start page: Set it as your browser home to remind yourself daily
- Onboarding: Include it in new hire materials to set team culture expectations
The index.html is a single-file static page with inline CSS. Feel free to:
- Adjust the colors to match your team's branding
- Add/remove examples that fit your culture
- Translate it to other languages
- Fork it and make it your own!
Got ideas to make YesHello even better? Contributions welcome!
- More scenarios? PR them!
- Better comparisons? Let's hear them!
- Translations? Yes please!
- Design improvements? Go for it!
Just remember: Keep it kind, keep it human, keep it empathetic.
This project is open source and available under the MIT License. Use it, share it, remix it. Just don't be a douche about it.
Inspired by the valuable (but sometimes overused) NoHello movement.
Made with empathy (and mild sarcasm about work culture).
Remember: Both NoHello and YesHello have their place. Use your judgment. Read the room. And above all, be kind. 💚