Steel Threads are a powerful but obscure software design approach. Learning about Steel Threads will make you a better engineer. You can use them to avoid common problems like integration pain, and you can use them to cut through the complexity of system design.

So Obscure It Was Deleted From Wikipedia in 2013

How unknown are Steel Threads? The concept was deleted from Wikipedia in 2013 because “the idea is not notable within Software Engineering, and hasn’t received significant coverage from notable sources.” Let’s add to the coverage, and also talk through why it is such a useful approach.

A Steel Thread is a very thin slice of functionality that threads through a software system. They are called “threads” because they weave through the various parts of the software system and implement an important use case. They are called “steel” because the thread becomes a solid foundation for later improvements.