REWORK Open Source Outside the Box
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Dec 17, 2025 
David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of Ruby on Rails and advocate for open source, joins Jason Fried, co-founder of 37signals, to explore the significance of open source in their work. They discuss how this approach elevates product quality and drives innovation at 37signals. The duo explains their decision to offer Fizzy as both a SaaS and open source solution, highlighting community engagement in shaping the product. They also touch on addressing critics and the unexpected priorities revealed by community contributions.
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Open Source Built The Company
- Open source enabled 37signals to exist by providing foundational tools like Linux and Ruby.
- David frames giving back as both a moral and practical obligation that accelerates learning and hiring.
Visibility Raises Engineering Standards
- Publicly viewable code forces better hygiene and craftsmanship from developers.
- Jason says that visible code raises quality because it instills pride and reputation-aware care.
Good Work Begets Better Work
- Sharing meticulous work has a viral effect that lifts others' craftsmanship.
- David calls open source a teaching hospital that raises the industry's overall bar.