The Subtle Art of Staying Out of It

In this episode, REWORK host Kimberly Rhodes, talks with Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, about the importance of stepping out of the day-to-day operations as a founder. Giving employees room to call the shots can spark new ideas and get things done faster. It also inspires people to think beyond just following orders.

Key Takeaways:

00:34 - The result of holding your grip too tight in your organization

 02:36 - Find the middle ground between projects you should be directly involved in and those that can be managed by others

08:38 - Giving employees the freedom to make decisions can lead to increased productivity and better ideas

10:20 - Stepping in when it's necessary to realign urgency or quality

12:54 - Not all opinions weigh the same

15:28 - Trying to be involved in every task or decision reduces the organization's effectiveness

22:48 - Intent prompts people to think independently instead of just following a set of instructions, as described in the book Turn the Ship Around.

Links and Resources:

Staying Out of It Blog Post by Jason Fried

Turn The Ship Around book

Blue Ocean Strategy book

Books by 37signals

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