The Startup Success Podcast
Bob interviews Jason Fried, co-founder and president of 37signals and co-author of Getting Real and now REWORK. Jason is the archetype of a successful web-based software company founder (Basecamp, Highrise, Campfire, Backpack), a strong proponent for a reality-based (versus VC-funded) approach to building a tech company with a point of view, and a strong believer most of the accepted ways of doing business don’t scale down to startups.
In this interview, we dig into not just Jason and David Heinemeier Hansson’s new book about the business of startups, but why and how they arrived at 37signals’ successful approach to building a software company. Jason generously shares a range of advice and experience about building your startup that is anything but a rehash of all the other advice you’ve heard.
Also, If you’re a web designer or web developer, open source or .NET, Microsoft WebsiteSpark and StartupToDo.com have free Microsoft software for designers and a six month scholarship to StartupToDo.com you may be interested in. For details and how to apply, visit http://startuptodo.com/websitespark/.
Download Show #63 here: Show #63 Or if you prefer, Subscribe to the podcast in Apple iTunes.
Bob Walsh is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bobwalsh or you can email him at bob.walsh@47hats.com.
Patrick Foley is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/patrickfoley or you can email him at patrick.foley@microsoft.com
URLs mentioned/relevant to this show:
- The Microsoft WebsiteSpark StartupToDo.com Scholarship: Microsoft WebsiteSpark is sponsoring 130 StartupToDo.com six-month scholarships for web designers and developers. Info, details and how to apply at http://startuptodo.com/websitespark.
- REWORK.
- 37signals main site.
- Rework at Amazon (affiliate link).
- 37signals’ blog, Signal vs. Noise.
- The 37signals manifesto.
For what matters to my ‘young business’ most right now, Jason has some very good points in this podcast. Amongst them the idea that business ‘physics’ apply even at tiny size businesses (or ‘young businesses’) seems to be the most helpful one
I read Rework a while ago. One thing I really liked was the idea of placing artificial constraints to force yourself to become more efficient. (Like not working past 5:00 for example)
If you need something to get done, give it to the busy person. And if you can’t get all of your work done before 5, you’re not working efficiently.
Really deep stuff. Great book!