Danish Originals S9E5. David Heinemeier Hansson
7 snips
Dec 11, 2025 
David Heinemeier Hansson, a Danish tech entrepreneur and co-creator of Ruby on Rails, shares insights from his recent return to Copenhagen after the LA fires. He discusses founding Basecamp to improve work collaboration and reflects on the cultural differences between U.S. and Danish entrepreneurial attitudes. David emphasizes the importance of 'flow' in both programming and racing, recounts his Le Mans success, and highlights the value of moderate wealth. He also expresses concerns about Denmark's entrepreneurial spirit and shares his ambitions for future creative projects.
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Return To Copenhagen After Malibu Fires
- David moved back to Copenhagen after the Malibu fires destroyed much of his neighborhood.
- He and his family chose stability and normality for their three boys over staying in Los Angeles.
How Basecamp And Rails Began
- David joined Jason Fried in 2001 after answering a programming question on Jason's blog and they built Basecamp to stop losing project context in email.
- He also created Ruby on Rails alongside Basecamp, which later powered many major web apps.
Cultural Gap In Attitudes To Risk
- U.S. culture celebrates entrepreneurial risk and restarts after failure while Danish culture tends toward caution and suspicion of standout success.
- That cultural difference shapes who finds a more welcoming environment for ambitious startups.
