Jason Fried: AI, Hiring, FOMO, Taste, Prioritizing, Writing & Growth
The Executive Brand Podcast
Designing a Village and Emergent Culture
Jason prefers organic, textured communities and argues culture and villages must emerge rather than be overly planned.
Jason Fried is the co-founder of 37signals the company behind Basecamp and HEY, and a pioneer of calm company building.
In this episode, Jason explains why he doesn’t chase trends like AI, how 2-person teams launch new products inside 37signals, and what it really means to build with taste, not speed.
Topics we cover in this episode:
- Why Basecamp hasn’t added AI, and why that’s not a problem
- How Jason avoids FOMO, even as trends explode
- Why 37signals builds multiple products with just 60 people
- What “product taste” really means—and how to hire for it
- The future of craftsmanship in a world of AI
- Jason’s unstructured workdays and creative flow
- How he’d build if he started from scratch in 2025
- Why content ≠ content, and how writing built 37signals’ brand
- When to ship vs. when to keep building
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Connect with Jason:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/
- Basecamp: https://basecamp.com/
- Hey: https://www.hey.com/
- Books: https://basecamp.com/books
- REWORK Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwo5Hcps5IkBBAv1-_HPOMvC4Rn1p8lsQ&si=7tq91JJ-GS4pgY1v
Connect with me:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- Website: https://www.project33.io/
- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
Chapters
00:00 Why Basecamp hasn’t added AI, and how Jason thinks about it
03:20 Avoiding FOMO and chasing trends
05:50 What Jason would do if he had to start from scratch
08:00 Making multiple products with just 60 people
10:18 How 2-person teams launch new tools at 37signals
12:00 The story of a product they killed—and why
14:30 Does SaaS still have room for new ideas?
16:15 The real opportunity: simpler software
18:30 Why trades might be the most future-proof jobs
20:05 The future of craftsmanship in an AI world
22:10 Jason’s spontaneous workdays and unstructured flow
24:45 What makes a good day at work
26:15 When to ship vs. when to keep building
30:00 How to make decisions without chasing competitors
33:00 Why Jason hates the term “content”
34:45 Writing, trust, and brand building the 37signals way
37:00 Redesigning products without alienating your users
39:30 Jason’s philosophy on culture: it emerges, not planned
43:00 Taste, talent, and how 37signals hires designers
49:00 What taste really means—and how to spot it
51:30 Jason’s favorite products: from V-Drums to a 1978 Porsche
54:00 Why legacy doesn’t matter (and ego does)
56:30 What Jason would prioritize if building a village
63:00 New book teaser: Make It Up As You Go
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
Website: https://www.project33.io/
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