This is Signal vs. Noise, a weblog by 37signals about design, business, experience, simplicity, the web, culture, and more. Established 1999 in Chicago. Visit the Product Blog for more information on our products.

It’s a great presentation, David. And it was a pleasure to speak with you beforehand too.

Great presentation! But why did the Carsonified folks add the extra epic intro and outro?

Great talk, David. It was even better live and in color ;-)

Couldn’t get to see the event, thanks for posting it online.

Pete

You would think that with a conference full of geeks, someone could make a decent video recording. This happened with Gary V’s keynote at FOWA Miami… only crap quality videos are available.

@Carl – Jason is right. We would’ve had to pay a huge union fee for the recording, and we just couldn’t afford that. Plus, we’re releasing the video for free ;)

“easy is not easy” .... very well put.

Thanks for releasing it for free like you did! Someday I hope to be able to go to some of these conferences but right now I’m just a web designing hopeful going to school and working full-time to support my family. I code on my 15-minute breaks and watch YouTube tutorials while I flip papers. Thanks a ton for what you do!

sounds quite aggressive on speakers :D

David’s boogieman voice is hilarious.

On a serious note, I love the reiterated point that we should listen, yes, but that does not mean we should listen and always say yes. Else why would we listen if the outcome will be the same (saying yes)? Part of the beauty of running your own show is that you get to decide what you will work on, who you will work with, and the terms by which you will work. It took me a long time to understand that always trying to make a client happy was killing my own effectiveness and joy. Saying no often does not have to mean that one is not willing to listen, judge, and come to one’s own conclusion about the outcome of an idea or a request. Saying no simply means that it’s not for you at a given time. I definitely agree that saying yes has led to more regret in my life than saying no.

And the best quote of all I think is the point that a mediocre idea with excellent execution and staying power is going to be a massive success. Some of the “big name” web developers and entrepreneurs don’t necessarily make products that make me go “wow”, but what I do love about them is their staying power, persistence, and patience. For some, 37signals products aren’t the best in terms of usability or features, but what does make the products amazing from the perspective of a customer is that you guys will be around for the long haul and that you believe in what you do. You’re not looking to jump ship once 37signals products blow up to “critical mass”, and the owners have been around since day one. It’s no surprise that companies whose owners and employees stick around and take ownership of the work that they do succeed over those who couldn’t care less what happens to a business (I’m thinking Wall Street…).

Regardless of legalities, is there any way we can get talks like these on iTunes? Or other iPhone-playable sound files for listening later? (Same question for 37signals Live too.)

@Scott Semple – Great idea. We’ll try our best.

Ryan, just want to give you and your team some props for all the work you guys put into these events. Big ups.

Great talk David. It was the highlight of the show for me.

Great advice… and I love the recording quality. Makes me feel like this is “secret tape” that I’m not supposed to see.

Fabulous…just fabulous! There really isn’t anything else to say except thank you.

Informative and still funny :) Great talk!

Ahh, a breath of fresh air. Thank you for cutting through the PR BS and naysayer noise that dominate all mediums.

I personally read SVN exactly for one main reason: great Signal to Noise ratio. This is both rare and valuable in a culture that substitutes quantity for quality.

Killer talk!

Thanks Dhrumil!

David, I like your shoes. What are they ?

Great Video Thanks for the post. I laughed , I cried, I Smiled!