REWORK

User Testing, Stoic Philosophy, and Other Listener Questions

Jan 17, 2024

Topics covered in this podcast include 37signals' rejection of traditional user testing, the impact of Stoic philosophy on their business mindset, their approach to profits and expenses, the importance of profitability and independence, and knowing when to hire more people as a sign of business success.

23:01

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Quick takeaways

37 Signals prioritizes being their own first customer and testing every product against the one question that matters.

Stoic philosophy functions as a mental operating system for 37 Signals, fostering calm and efficient thinking in response to business challenges and emphasizing the importance of negative visualization.

Deep dives

Approach to User Testing and Product Validation

37 Signals does not engage in traditional user testing. They primarily rely on using their own unfinished products and gathering insights from their own team members. They occasionally have a small group of people test the product before public launch, but they do not give them specific instructions. The real validation comes after the product is launched in the market and they gather feedback from actual users.

Design for Yourself and Validate in the Free Market

01:18

Maintaining Profitability and Financial Discipline in Business

02:54

Introduction

5min

The Impact of Stoic Philosophy

7min

Approach to Profitability and Building Products

3min

The Importance of Profit and Independence

3min

Knowing When to Hire More People

5min

In this episode of Rework, the spotlight is on listener questions. Listen in as Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share their insights on a range of topics — from 37signals' approach to user testing and the impact of Stoic philosophy on their business principles, to discussions on profits and expenses, and the crucial decision of when to hire.

Tune in to hear their unique perspectives on these key aspects of building a successful company.

Check out the full video episode on YouTube

Key Takeaways:

Uncover why 37signals rejects traditional user testing and prioritizes being their own first customer. They unveil their unique perspective on product development and share the one question you need to test every product against.
Explore how Stoicism functions as a mental operating system, fostering calm and efficient thinking in response to business challenges. David delves into Stoic principles and recommends some essential Stoic readings for entrepreneurs (See links below).
Jason and David discuss their approach to profits, expenses, maintaining healthy margins, and the independence and freedom that profitability affords in decision-making.
How to use the principle of "hire when it hurts" to ensure resources align with the business's growth and increased demand.

Rework is a production of 37signals. You can find show notes and transcripts on our website. Full video episodes are available on YouTube and X.

If you have a question for Jason or David about a better way to work and run your business, leave us a voicemail, or send us a text at 708-628-7850 or email, and we might answer it in a future episode.

Links and Resources:

The Manual by Epictetus

On the Shortness of Life by Seneca

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine

Basecamp Automatic Check-ins

Books by 37signals

HEY World | HEY

The REWORK podcast

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

The 37signals Dev Blog

37signals on YouTube

@37signals on X