Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson of 37 Signals have created the Anti-Business – a deliciously small, opinionated organization that scoffs at the structures and mantras of the traditional corporation. In Rework, JF and DHH refine many of the concepts from 37 Signals previous book: “Getting Real“. Frequent readers of the 37 Signals blog “SVN” will notice a lot of the topics covered there make an appearance in the book:
Getting big quickly does not make you successful
Try to underdo the competition
Avoid meetings and other disruptive ways of communicating
Teach your customers, don’t market to them
Don’t copy your competitors
37 Signals and their approach to software design and business have become a force on the web. Ironically, though they advocate not copying, their signup screen is the most copied by other web products.
The book is no less inspirational than their products. The ideas in Rework provide a lens through which to evaluate how much of what you do day-to-day is bullshit. From the way you interview new candidates to staying late to appear like you’re working hard, the 37 Signals business philosophy is presented in a clear and illustrative way.
However, JF and DHH are like crotchety old men who have their way of doing things – like always putting on the coffee before going to get the newspaper. It’s important to have an opinion, partially because opinions sell software and books. Their opinions have made them successful – and im sure that reinforces their belief in the strength of that opinion.
But it’s not gospel.
Rework is inspiration. It’s fuel for the intellectual fire that drives you to create something new and do it in a better way. But like any business or productivity book, not everything will apply. And as they say, don’t copy them. Figure out your own path. Theirs is certainly an interesting path to observe.
37 Signals new book: Rework
37 Signals and their approach to software design and business have become a force on the web. Ironically, though they advocate not copying, their signup screen is the most copied by other web products.
The book is no less inspirational than their products. The ideas in Rework provide a lens through which to evaluate how much of what you do day-to-day is bullshit. From the way you interview new candidates to staying late to appear like you’re working hard, the 37 Signals business philosophy is presented in a clear and illustrative way.
However, JF and DHH are like crotchety old men who have their way of doing things – like always putting on the coffee before going to get the newspaper. It’s important to have an opinion, partially because opinions sell software and books. Their opinions have made them successful – and im sure that reinforces their belief in the strength of that opinion.
But it’s not gospel.
Rework is inspiration. It’s fuel for the intellectual fire that drives you to create something new and do it in a better way. But like any business or productivity book, not everything will apply. And as they say, don’t copy them. Figure out your own path. Theirs is certainly an interesting path to observe.