Out-Teach Your Competition
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonThroughout its tenure, 37signals has consistently grown without spending much on marketing.
Small BusinessCompany Meet-Up: Amsterdam Edition
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonMeetups offer remote companies an opportunity to gather away from the day-to-day for more in-depth conversations that foster deeper relationships for the team and bigger leaps for the company.
Small BusinessDecisions are Temporary
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonCo-founders of 37signals, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson discuss decision making within an organization. Small businesses have the advantage of being nimble and able to change course quickly, so there’s no reason to get caught up in the “what ifs.”
Small Business, DHH and Jason FriedLeaving the Cloud
with David Heinemeier Hansson and Eron NicholsonCloud services have been used by tech companies for many years, but it’s not the only way. Hear why 37signals is making the decision to go in another direction.
Big TechDon't be a Hero
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonYou’ve been working on a thing for days, weeks, maybe months and you’re still nowhere near finishing. Our natural instinct is to say, “I’ve already put this much time and energy into it, might as well finish.” Well, most of the time this is wrong. You’re not getting that time back either way and...
REWORK RevisitedQuick Wins
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonBuilding and maintaining momentum is one of the most underrated things you can do when building products. Keep moving forward by shipping work early and often. The longer something takes, the less likely it is you’ll finish it. At 37signals, we work in six-week cycles, but even six weeks is a long...
REWORK RevisitedGood Enough is Fine
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonAt 37signals, we tend to solve problems by finding a “judo solution.” The simplest, easiest, cheapest solution that gets you 90% of the way there. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be great. It just has to be good enough. Part of this is reframing and simplifying the problem itself....
REWORK RevisitedMeetings are Toxic (Season 2)
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonMeetings are the worst type of interruption. A one-hour meeting with five people is actually five hours of productivity lost. They’re also horrible at conveying information. So, why do so many companies jump to meetings as the first option. Next time try writing something up, jumping on a a...
REWORK RevisitedBubble Up
with Michelle HarjaniA close look at how we develop features at 37signals. Designer Michelle Harjani walks Shaun through the entire process of making the Bubble Up Feature in HEY.
Basecamp Behind the Scenes, HEYInterruption is the Enemy of Productivity
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonHaving a calendar peppered with meetings or other commitments is horrible for productivity. Most people need at least a few hours or even days of completely uninterrupted alone time in order to do their best work. On this episode Jason and David give some strategies for creating the empty space you...
REWORK RevisitedReasons to Quit
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonAre you doing work that matters or are you just doing what you think you should be doing? Sinking too much time into something that you should have quit working on weeks ago is an easy trap to fall into. Avoid it by asking yourself some simple questions:
REWORK RevisitedIllusions of Agreement
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonSimply describing your pitch can cause the illusion of agreement. Everyone may have a completely different idea of what you’re talking about. Try sketching it out, hum the melody you want to create, or, better yet, start building the thing. Removing these levels of abstraction ensures everyone is on...
REWORK RevisitedLaunch Now
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonIf you had to launch your thing in just two weeks what would you cut out? Put off anything you don’t absolutely need for launch. You can always build that stuff later when you have more information. It’s best to just get it out there!
REWORK RevisitedSell Your By-products (Season 2)
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonHenry Ford turned wood scraps from Model T production into charcoal. That company is now called Kingsford and it’s the leading manufacturer of charcoal in America. 37signals was a small web design firm before it started selling the project management tool it made to communicate with clients. That’s...
REWORK RevisitedTone is in Your Fingers
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonAny photographer will tell you it doesn’t really matter what camera you use if you know how to take a good picture. So often, businesses obsess over getting a fancy office, the best software or breakroom snacks, when they really should be focusing on getting customers and making money. It doesn’t...
REWORK RevisitedFocus on What Won't Change
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonA lot of companies focus on chasing hot trends or new technology. That’s all fine and good, but the core of your business should be built around the things that people will always want. In the case of Basecamp, that means speed, simplicity, and great customer service. For a company like Amazon, it...
REWORK RevisitedThrow Less at the Problem
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonWhen things aren’t working, it’s human nature to throw more at the problem. More money, more people, more time. However, this usually ends up making the problem bigger. So, do less! Reframe the problem in such a way that it can be solved with fewer people, less money, and without endlessly pushing...
REWORK RevisitedBe a Curator
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonEveryone has more ideas than they can realistically fit in a product. A good museum doesn’t just throw everything in its collection up on the walls. There’s a curation process. Someone says, “no.” It’s in making these edits that the real product comes out, so embrace it!
REWORK RevisitedMeetups and Miami
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonBasecamp was in Miami last week. I sat down with Jason and David to talk about why we were there, the importance of meeting colleagues in person, and investing in culture.
REWORK RevisitedMaking the Call is Making Progress
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonIt’s so easy to punt on something; to say, “let’s wait until we have enough information to make the perfect decision.” Perfect decisions don’t exist, putting things off makes them pile up, and you’ll end up getting absolutely nowhere. Very few decisions are set in stone. So, make calls as quickly as...
REWORK RevisitedIgnore the Details Early On
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonIt’s incredibly easy to focus too much on the little details of what you’re building. You can spend hours and hours on something that will rarely ship with the final product. And, details are important! But, early on is not the time to worry about them. Focus on the basics first and worry about the...
REWORK RevisitedStart at the Epicenter
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonWhen starting something new, you can work on the stuff you could do, the stuff you want to do, and the stuff you have to do. It’s the stuff you have to do is where you should begin. To find that epicenter ask yourself, “if I took this one thing away, would what I’m selling still exist.”
REWORK RevisitedBuild Half a Product, Not a Half-Assed Product
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonYou can’t do everything you want to do and do it well. You just don’t have the time, resources, people, etc., so you’re going to have to cut some things. But, this isn’t a bad thing at all! As with any other early constraints, embrace the editing process. Your product will be better off for it!
REWORK RevisitedEmbrace Constraints
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonWhen you’re just starting off you’re going to be surrounded by constraints. You probably won’t have enough time to do everything you want to do. You probably don’t have enough people or money either. Don’t worry! These are good things! It’s when you’re boxed in that you’re forced to make tough...
REWORK RevisitedLess Mass
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonBusinesses can get weighed down by things like excess staff, countless meetings, long-term contracts, etc. The more mass they take on the harder it is change direction. Being able to change direction, to change your mind, is essential to building a successful company.
REWORK RevisitedBuilding to Flip is Building to Flop
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonA lot of people start businesses with the hope that they’ll be able to sell it quickly for a huge pile of money. While this might happen sometimes, it’s extremely rare and even worse, the businesses created with this goal sacrifice so much just for the chance to sell. They sacrifice their customers,...
REWORK RevisitedStart a Business, Not a Startup
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonLast episode of the year and we’re talking about startups. The new dry cleaner down the street doesn’t call itself a startup. The pizza place on the corner doesn’t call itself a startup. They’re new businesses, that’s all! So, what’s so special about your tech company that you need a fancy word for...
REWORK RevisitedYou Need Less Than You Think (Season 2)
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonBefore you start your great new business you’ll NEED to hire some people, raise some money, rent an office, buy some ads, etc. etc. OF COURSE YOU DON’T. These are all just the trappings entrepreneurs tell themselves they need, when in reality, all you need is to start making something.
REWORK RevisitedOutside Money is Plan Z
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonTaking outside money to start your business may seem like a good idea, but there are a ton of strings attached… You give up control. Cashing out becomes the #1 priority. It’s addictive. It’s usually a bad deal. Customers become less important than investors… You get the idea. Outside money should...
REWORK RevisitedMission Statement Impossible
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonLast episode we discussed how important it is to stand for something and you’d think writing your values down in a mission statement would be a great way to let people know exactly what you stand for. Well, you’d be wrong. Mission statements are almost always vapid, boring, platitudes that end up...
REWORK RevisitedDraw a Line in the Sand
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonWhenever you start something, especially a business it’s important to know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Having strong opinions, standing for something, can help tremendously when it comes to making crucial decisions and creating super-fans.
REWORK RevisitedNo Time is No Excuse
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson“There’re just not enough hours in the day!” This is probably the most common excuse people give for not starting something. Well, guess what. There most definitely are a few hours you could probably squeeze in here and there. And, we’re not saying you have to quit your day job to do it!
REWORK RevisitedStart Making Something (Season 2)
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonThis week Jason and David discuss the essay titled “Start Making Something.” It’s only when you start building something the real insights come. Until then, all you have is just an idea. We also talk about Stanley Kubrick films and Jason introduces groundbreaking concepts like perforated pizza and...
REWORK RevisitedScratch Your Own Itch
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonBasecamp was originally designed as a way to manage 37signals’ client work and its success can be credited to the fact that it was designed to scratch a very specific itch by the people with that were itching. Now, we’re not saying that building something for others is necessarily a bad way to go...
REWORK RevisitedMake a Dent in the Universe
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonThis week we discuss the importance of doing meaningful work. At least meaningful to you. What you do is your legacy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to change the world. You just need to be doing something that changes YOUR world.
REWORK RevisitedEnough with Entrepreneurs
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson“Entrepreneur” sounds really fancy. Like a member of some exclusive club. But, what we’re really talking about is just someone who starts something. Is it time to retire this word? Is there a better word to replace it? Can a business podcast go 30 minutes without talking about Steve Jobs, luxury...
REWORK RevisitedWorkaholism
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonWorking long hours, putting in overtime, logging on on the weekends, have become badges of honor, but there’s a big difference between work and getting stuff done. This week Jason and David push back against this idea of workaholism.
REWORK RevisitedWhy Grow?
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonBasecamp has always prided itself on staying small and lean. But, with two major products, we’re going to change that. The question when looking to grow, however, is “why?”
REWORK RevisitedPlanning is Guessing
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonPeople put too much stock in making long-term plans, but let’s call them what they really are: guesses. On this episode we discuss deadlines, business plans, world domination, and Dungeons & Dragons.
REWORK RevisitedLearning from Mistakes is Overrated
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson“Fail early and often.” You hear this all the time in the tech start-up world. Failure has long been held up as a badge of honor for new start-ups. This week Jason and David take on this idea and make a pitch for learning from your successes instead of your mistakes.
REWORK RevisitedIgnore the Real World
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonWe continue our revisit of REWORK with the essay, “Ignore the Real World.” Topics include new ideas failing, risk avoidance, and Marvel movies.
REWORK RevisitedThe New Reality
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonIn this episode we dive deep into the introduction and chapter 1 of REWORK, The New Reality.
REWORK RevisitedBefore Basecamp
with David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason FriedREWORK is coming back for season 2 this September! In the meantime here’s a little bonus to tide you over. Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, during the dot com bubble, Basecamp co-founders, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson both had run-ins with venture-backed tech startups. These...
REWORK RevisitedYou Had Me At Hylo
with Tibet SpragueTibet Sprague is a “communitarian technologist” with a vision for building companies and communities outside of investor-driven, for-profit systems. His current project is Hylo, an online platform for collaboration that’s governed by its users.
HEY, Is This App Accessible?
with Michael Berger and Scott Ballard-RidleyHow Basecamp’s Michael Berger approached accessibility during the development of HEY, including collaborating with a blind Basecamp user on accessible features that ultimately improved the experience for everyone.
Basecamp Behind the Scenes, HEYSuccess is Surviving
with Robin PetravicWhen Robin Petravic and Cathy Bailey bought Heath Ceramics from the company’s founders in 2003, they promised to keep the dinnerware maker and its manufacturing workforce in its home base of Sausalito, California. The pandemic provided an opportunity for Heath to recommit to this pledge and create a...
From Insolvency to Upsolve
with Mark HansenUpsolve makes a free tool that automates the process of filing for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy. The organization is an atypical tech startup that’s also an atypical non-profit. Co-founder and CTO Mark Hansen comes on the show to talk about how Upsolve alternately embraces and subverts the norms of...
Truss The Process
with Everett Harper and Jen LeechIn 2016, software infrastructure consulting firm Truss made salaries transparent across the entire company. Salaries were revealed internally for all employees, from the executives on down. In this episode, Truss CEO Everett Harper and COO Jen Leech talk about why and how they approached their...
Coops: The Next Generation
with Greg Brodsky and Jessica MasonImagine if gig workers like rideshare drivers or grocery shoppers were compensated for their labor through ownership stakes in the Lyfts and Instacarts of the world. Imagine if companies distributed profits not just to founders and investors, but to their employees and customers. Start.coop is an...
HEY World
with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier HanssonBasecamp co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about HEY World, a new feature of the HEY email service where customers can create a super simple blog. HEY World has no templates, no endless scroll, no ads, no trackers, and no JavaScript. It represents Basecamp’s attempt to create...
HEY