Rework

This week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, examine why it's advantageous to keep things simple — in both products and business. They challenge the idea that complex or bespoke tools are the best way to go and lean into not overcomplicating things.Key Takeaways:00:34 - The power of keeping things simple10:55 - Why small businesses don't need to act like big businesses12:04 - The beauty of embracing what you don’t know when starting something new18:01 - Building products with depth versus surface area23:09 - Knowing when to listen to customers for product input and ideasLinks and Resources:Merchants of Complexity Post by David Heinemeier HanssonBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

37signals works in 6-week cycles, which begin with a Kickoff and wrap up with a Heartbeat. In this week’s REWORK podcast, co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson break down the purpose and benefits of the Kickoff and Heartbeat documents and share tips for implementing this process across an organization. Key Takeaways00:40 - When 37signals started using Kickoffs and Heartbeats 02:13 - Details of the Kickoff write-up process07:34 - How much input Jason and David have in the Kickoff13:43 - What Kickoffs & Heartbeats look like for departments with ongoing work17:37 - The Heartbeats as an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the work of individual employees and team22:50 - The benefits of writing up work summaries for institutional historyLinks and ResourcesShape UpBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

This week on the REWORK podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson answer another round listener questions. Jason and David talk about the ups and downs of their long-running business partnership and friendship, tackle a critical question about Basecamp, and share their thoughts on starting a new company. Plus, they reveal the inspiration behind their Campfire software.Key Takeaways00:34 – How Jason and David's partnership has stood the test of time09:21 – A listener's opinion on Basecamp's shortcomings14:56 – Advice for building a new company from the ground up.25:35 – Creating products out of a need versus seeing a business opportunityLinks and ResourcesIs group chat making you sweat?Books by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, return from a summer hiatus to answer a new set of listener questions. They dive into topics like the role of A.I. in writing and their updated thoughts on staying Facebook-free. REWORK host, Kimberly Rhodes also gets in a question of her own.Key Takeaways00:38 - Emphasizing the importance of using your own voice in writing rather than relying on AI05:50 - Discussing how targeted advertising can be beneficial for some but not for everyone08:50 - One disagreement with a company or person shouldn't lead to complete condemnation19:28 - David shares his reflections on taking a summer break from X (formerly Twitter)Links & ResourcesGoogle pulls Dear Sydney adGoogle - Dear Sydney AdONCE.comJobs at 37signalsBooks by 37signalsHEY WorldThe REWORK PodcastThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube37signals on X

In their book REWORK, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson write about the benefits of building products and services that you use yourself. "The easiest, most straightforward way to create a great product or service is to make something you want to use." In this episode, originally aired November 2, 2021, Jason and David sit down with Shaun Hildner to discuss creating products that scratch your own itch.Key Takeaways00:43 – The origins of Basecamp and how it fulfilled an internal need04:38 – Building to solve your own problems vs. someone else's06:27 – The evolution of HEY and how it was created to solve their own frustrations with email09:50 – How building for yourself leads to better quality control 14:25 – The problem with creating MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) and building based on customer feedback aloneLinks and ResourcesBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYOnce | CampfireThe REWORK podcastThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signal

In this episode of the Rework podcast, host Kimberly Rhodes chats with Eron Nicholson from 37signals' operations team. He shares insight on his role and the department's various functions. The conversation covers details on the ops team structure, system reliability, global expansion projects and more.Key Takeaways00:38 - Meet Eron02:17 - The structure of the “ops” team05:15 - On-call coverage and schedule08:40 - Managing data center outages13:25 - Balancing project cycles with system administration16:56 - A sneak peek into the Amsterdam projectLinks & Resources37signals developers blogOptimizing Site Performance via Anycast RoutingJobs at 37signalsONCE.comBooks by 37signalsHEY WorldThe REWORK PodcastThe REWORK Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube37signals on XSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com

In this episode, Andrea LaRowe, Head of People Operations at 37signals, joins host Kimberly Rhodes to answer questions about the company's HR practices. They discuss the company's management structure and performance evaluations and what the company looks for when hiring. Andrea also shares what's involved in the All Hands meeting and tips for planning a company meet-up.Key Takeaways:00:42 - Meet Andrea02:19 - 37signals' managerial structure and one-on-one process06:15 - 360 evaluations and annual employee reviews09:38 - What job applicants can do to stand out12:45 - All-hands meetings17:21 - Company meetups21:57 - Hiring employees using the ‘manager of one’ conceptLinks and Resources:Jobs at 37signalsBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comOnce software productsHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this podcast episode, Kimberly Rhodes talks with Jason Fried, CEO and co-founder of 37signals, about the process of naming products. He discusses practical considerations like domain availability, trademarks, and logo design.Key Takeaways:00:28 - The process of naming a product03:05 - Researching domain names and trademarks07:14 - The style of a product name10:04 - The journey from the working title to the official title13:11 - Designing and updating branding logos20:48 - Gathering input on the nameLinks and Resources:Books by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYOnce | CampfireThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode, Kimberly Rhodes hosts a discussion with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-founders of 37signals, about their newest product. And the best news? It will be free and simple to use.Key Takeaways:00:26 - The next Once product02:52 - The excitement of easily sharing free information in book form online07:02 - Simplified publishing software that you completely control12:12 - Starting a new product from scratch creates an open space for new ideas15:55 - The various authors and enthusiasts that may want to use the new product22:10 - Making the case on why this product is free25:27 - Q&A from X (Twitter)Links and Resources:ONCE.comJason Fried on Twitter / X and LinkedInDavid Heinemeier Hansson on Twitter / X and LinkedInThe 37signals Employee HandbookBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

REWORK's host Kimberly Rhodes discusses the unique marketing approach of 37signals with its co-founders, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. They talk about how their process is simply sharing their perspectives and products, instead of traditional advertising. They champion genuine interaction over transactional posts and content.Key Takeaways:00:37 - What Founder-Led Marketing means for 37signals02:43 - The journey to finding the authentic voice of the brand09:24 - Why paid advertising doesn’t always work as intended16:50 - The love/hate relationship of posting content27:19 - There are different decorums for different platformsLinks and Resources:Saddleback Leather CompanyBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this podcast episode, REWORK host Kimberly Rhodes talks with David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founder of 37signals and CTO,  about his personal shift from using Apple products to exploring Linux and Windows platforms. He discusses the expanded platform integration at 37signals, which now includes all three operating systems. Key Takeaways:00:21 - The last straw with Apple06:34 - Discovering Microsoft’s recent improvements and support of developers10:30 - Linux and Windows work well together13:27 - The user-friendly and upgradeable Framework laptop17:45 - Transitioning 37signals to a multi-platform development team22:58 - David’s recommended computing and operating systemsLinks and Resources:Steve Ballmer: Developers!The Ikea EffectBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode, REWORK host Kimberly Rhodes, talks with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, about the importance of stepping out of the day-to-day operations as a founder. Giving employees room to call the shots can spark new ideas and get things done faster. It also inspires people to think beyond just following orders.Key Takeaways:00:34 - The result of holding your grip too tight in your organization 02:36 - Find the middle ground between projects you should be directly involved in and those that can be managed by others08:38 - Giving employees the freedom to make decisions can lead to increased productivity and better ideas10:20 - Stepping in when it's necessary to realign urgency or quality12:54 - Not all opinions weigh the same15:28 - Trying to be involved in every task or decision reduces the organization's effectiveness22:48 - Intent prompts people to think independently instead of just following a set of instructions, as described in the book Turn the Ship A

Elaine Richards, 37signals' Chief Operating Officer, shakes things up by flipping the script on host, Kimberly Rhodes. They discuss the behind-the-scenes work of producing the REWORK podcast and selecting topics that resonate with the audience. They even dive into Kimberly's background in podcasting and how the podcast has changed over time. Key Takeaways:01:41 - It all started for Kimberly with an event industry podcast05:19 - The process of creating and reviewing the final product10:41 - Expanding episodes from audio-only to adding video12:00 - Creating the video set 14:01 - Broadening podcast content beyond the REWORK essays19:15 - Not all episode ideas make it to air20:58 - Evaluating the podcast stats22:22 - The most popular REWORK Podcast themes and episodesPodcasting Tools we use:Podcast Recording – SquadCastPodcast Hosting – BuzzsproutTranscripts and Captions – RevSocial Clips – Opus ClipEpisode Mentions:David Heinemeier Hansson’s HEY World blogJason Fried’s HEY World blogThis Week In Weddin

In this episode of Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, continue their discussion on ambition, focusing on generating ideas and the process of deciding which projects to pursue. They talk about the importance of experimentation, and how they decide which products to maintain or discontinue.Key Takeaways:00:38 - Experimenting and seeing what works in the market03:07 - The more you build, the more ideas you generate09:00 - Determining when a product is commercially viable13:18 - The downfalls of overanalyzing a product before it’s built17:31 - Balancing ambition with realistic timelinesLinks and Resources:https://killedbygoogle.com/Books by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode of Rework, host Kimberly Rhodes alongside 37signals co-founders, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, talk about the company's renewed sense of ambition and excitement for upcoming projects. They highlight the importance of keeping things fresh, while emphasizing the balance between ambition and practicality.Key Takeaways:00:41 - The source of the company’s ambition explained02:18 - Sticking to fundamentals and simplicity can still have a major impact06:09 - A hefty price tag on software doesn’t mean it’s good11:29 - How 37signals structures teams for new product development18:17 - Uncertainty can serve as adventure the exact path to success is not known22:32 - A change in priorities is often necessary to fuel ambition24:59 - The motivation is to make products betterLinks and Resources:Books by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37signals on X

In this episode, host Kimberly Rhodes chats with 37signals' cofounders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson about the company's Summer Fridays policy, which grants employees a four-day workweek from May to September. While the perk encourages work-life balance and a feeling of seasonality, there are drawbacks to consider, like reduced productivity.Key Takeaways:00:46 - 37signals' Summer Friday policy and why it was initially introduced03:09 - The trade-offs the company makes with summer hours10:12 - The challenge with summer hours in the pursuit of more ambitious goals13:09 - How the company balances coverage for always-on teams, like customer support16:17 - The effect on team projects that require collaborationLinks and Resources:Samsung shifts to emergency mode with 6-day work week for executivesThe Hawthorne EffectBooks by 37signalsSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY World | HEYThe REWORK podcastThe Rework Podcast on YouTubeThe 37signals Dev Blog37signals on YouTube@37sign

In the podcast, REWORK host Kimberly Rhodes talks with 37signals co-founders, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, about their journey spinning off products. They stress the value of keeping contracts simple and how once the handover is done, it's best to take a hands-off approach and let the new team run things. They share their experiences with boards and underline the need for trust and flexibility. Key Takeaways:00:43 - The steps they took to transition "Know Your Company" into its own independent entity.04:49 - Contracts don't offer as much protection as people believe.10:58 - The differences in spinning off a startup vs. a long-established company.14:53 - Letting capable partners take the reins and run the show independently.18:51 - The challenge in finding the right partner for a spin-off business.20:12 - In any transaction, things may not turn out as expected, but it may be worth taking calculated risks.23:19 - Contracts don't necessarily prevent disputes and can sometime

"Consensus is cozy, but broad agreement is not our aim. The right decision is. Which is why we take the time to think, debate, persuade, listen and reconsider and then, someone, decides. If you disagree, that’s fine, but once the decision is made, it’s time to commit and support it completely."Tune in as Kimberly leads a chat with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, about the concept of Disagree and Commit. Once a decision is made, everyone should be in 100% — no looking back.Key Takeaways:01:01 - Breaking down how Disagree and Commit operates02:17 - Identifying the most suitable person to make the final decision based on the circumstance07:40 - Embracing the "manager of one" concept, empowering individuals to decide independently with reasonable supervision09:33 - Acknowledging that delegating decisions doesn't compromise the emphasis on quality14:04 - Always keeping the door open to revisit and tweak things15:44 - Granting capable individuals the free

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-founders of 37signals, dive into their book REWORK and discuss the essay “Strangers at a Cocktail Party” with Rework host, Kimberly Rhodes. From their experience, hiring too many people at once can throw off the balance and continuity of a company's culture. They talk about the importance of gradual assimilation and how culture is implicit, not always written down. They share insights on the value of fresh perspectives and the excitement of facing challenges head-on.Key Takeaways:00:30 - Gradually integrating new hires is important for upholding an organization's established norms and values.02:30 - Company culture is nurtured through the daily interactions and collective experiences shared within an organization.05:34 - New hires inject new perspectives and innovative ideas into the mix.07:14 - Embracing crises and novel challenges is part of the excitement of running a business.12:19 - Reflecting on the hiring patterns at 37signals.14:23 - While cha

This episode of REWORK delves into an essay from the book "It Doesn't Have To Be Crazy At Work," co-authored by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, advocating for the use of asynchronous communication for work projects. During the discussion, they explore the downside of chat and suggest it be reserved for informal discussions and social interactions.Key Takeaways:00:36 - Different communication methods in the workplace – chat vs. asynchronous 02:22 - The benefits of centralized communication for project management and how chat can hinder productivity09:20 - Managing multiple conversations for a single project11:28 - How project management tools reduce the need for frequent meetings, check-ins, and follow-ups20:05 - Data retention practices for both formal and informal communicationLinks and Resources:Once. com – https://once.com/Campfire – https://once.com/campfireBooks by 37signals – https://37signals.com/booksSign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.comHEY – https://www.hey.com/The