REWORK

Any 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 matter what gear you have as long as you know what you're doing. Show Notes 01:45 - Lei...

A 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 means focusing on fast delivery and easy returns. Customers are going to want these things now ...

When 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 back deadlines. Show Notes 00:50 - The path to Basecamp 4 (HEY World - Jason Fried) 03:09 -...

Everyone 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! Show Notes 02:32 - Shape Up 02:37 - Six-week cycles (Shape Up) 07:36 - Stick it to an email (HEY) 10:41...

Basecamp 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.

It'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 possible. Don't wait around for the perfect answer. Show Notes 0...

It'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 specifics later. Show Notes 02:14 - Hill Charts (Basecamp) 03:02 - Fat marker sketches (Sh...

When 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." Show Notes 06:07 - Highrise 08:23 - Salesforce 15:32 - Is Your Product a 'Vitamin'...

You 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! Show Notes 02:08 - tilted 05:56 - Jonas Downey 06:31 - Ryan Singer 06:33 - Matthew L...

When 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 decisions on what to do and what not to do. This results in a cle...

Businesses 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. Show Notes 07:20 - Newton's laws of motion (Wikipedia) 20:34 - Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers Into L...

A 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, their employees, their product quality... You get the idea. It's like building a hou...

Last 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 it? Startups make you think of unlimited growth, huge investments, no...

Before 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. Show Notes 00:03 - Budweiser Wassup Commercial (YouTube) 01:28 - Dungeons & Dragons 05:34 - Coudal...

Taking 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 never be plan A. Show Notes 03:15 - How WhatsApp Makes Money (Investopedia) 13:28 - 37si...

Last 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 saying nothing at all. Even worse, they often turn people away entirely! Show Notes 00:11 -...

Whenever 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. Show Notes 03:27 - Embrace Constraints (Getting Real) 04:09 - Signal v. Noise 04:18 - It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work 04:44 - Si...

"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! Show Notes 02:10 - Fortnite 02:21 - Tetris Effect 07:57 - Set Boundaries (Shape Up) 09:37 -...

This 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 "The Mysterious Cat." Show Notes 06:04 - Getting Real 17:22 - Collections 20...

Basecamp 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 about things, but building for your own needs has huge advantages. Show Notes  06:15 - &quot...

This 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. Show Notes 03:28 - Bullshit Jobs: A Theory - David Graeber (Bookshop.org) 04:37 - Drudge Report 04:38 - craigslist 05:01 - Flip Video (Wikipedia) 05:29...

"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 cars, and watches? Show Notes 09:42 - Andon (Wikipedia) 11:23 - Nürburgring 24 Hours (Wi...

Working 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. Show Notes 01:37 - Six-week cycles (Shape Up) 02:46 - On Apple's monopoly power to destroy HEY (Signal v. Noise) 09:10 - Oura Ring 10:47 - Test-driven devel...

Basecamp 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?" Show Notes 03:08 - Highrise 03:09 - Campfire 03:10 - Backpack 07:18 - Software as a service (SaaS) 09:41 - Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency - Tom DeMarco 13:33 - Hill Charts...

People 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. Show Notes 01:06 - Dungeons & Dragons 01:20 - Mind Flayer 02:00 - Six-week cycles (Shape Up) 05:54 - The meaning of a bet (Shape Up) 07:23 - Shape Up 08:32 - Setting the appetite (Shape U...