The Illusion of Prestige in Client Relationships

Bigger isn't always better. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals’ co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share the drawbacks of chasing high-profile, enterprise deals. The two founders explain why they prefer their business model that's built around serving smaller clients. 

Key Takeaways:

• 00:35 – The biggest clients can quickly become the biggest burden and the biggest risk
• 07:10 – The hidden costs of “whale-sized” clients
• 12:35 – Things to consider when defining your ideal client
• 17:02 – Knowing what types of clients you'll enjoy working with
• 19:53 – How venture capital funding can make a difference when choosing your ideal clients

Links and Resources:

• "Don't have a biggest customer" from Jason Fried's HEY World
• "A Static Business is a Healthy Business" from Jason Fried's HEY World
• Books by 37signals
• 30-day free trial of HEY
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X