REWORK

When you're just starting off you're going to be surrounded by constraints. You probably won't have enough time to do everything you want to do. You probably don't have enough people or money either. Don't worry! These are good things! It's when you're boxed in that you're forced to make tough decisions on what to do and what not to do. This results in a clearer, more streamlined product. Embrace those constraints!Show Notes04:06 - Six-week cycles (Shape Up)08:23 - Ruby on Rails11:09 - SharePoint11:12 - Microsoft Project12:55 - Backpack12:57 - Campfire13:00 - Highrise16:31 - Duke Nukem Forever (Wikipedia)17:00 - Doom (Wikipedia)18:24 - Shape Up

Businesses can get weighed down by things like excess staff, countless meetings, long-term contracts, etc. The more mass they take on the harder it is change direction. Being able to change direction, to change your mind, is essential to building a successful company.Show Notes07:20 - Newton's laws of motion (Wikipedia)20:34 - Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders - L. David Marquet (Bookshop.org)21:35 - Hire managers of one (Signal v. Noise)

A lot of people start businesses with the hope that they'll be able to sell it quickly for a huge pile of money. While this might happen sometimes, it's extremely rare and even worse, the businesses created with this goal sacrifice so much just for the chance to sell. They sacrifice their customers, their employees, their product quality... You get the idea. It's like building a house that only looks good in pictures, but you certainly wouldn't want to live in it.Show Notes03:10  - The Imbox: It's not a typo17:38 - Basecamp 3 Uptime22:04 - Mojito island is a mirage (Signal v. Noise)23:21 - Why 37signals Refocused on a Single Product: Basecamp (Inc.)23:49 - Groundhog Day (IMDb)25:52 - Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Bookshop.org)

Last episode of the year and we're talking about startups. The new dry cleaner down the street doesn't call itself a startup. The pizza place on the corner doesn't call itself a startup. They're new businesses, that's all! So, what's so special about your tech company that you need a fancy word for it? Startups make you think of unlimited growth, huge investments, no expenses to worry about. This mindset can be unhealthy and detrimental to your new business.Show Notes02:57 - Request for Proposal (Investopedia)10:02 - Greater fool theory (Wikipedia)15:57 - R.I.P. Good Times (Sequoia Capital)23:00 - Hotwire

Before you start your great new business you'll NEED to hire some people, raise some money, rent an office, buy some ads, etc. etc. OF COURSE YOU DON'T. These are all just the trappings entrepreneurs tell themselves they need, when in reality, all you need is to start making something.Show Notes00:03 - Budweiser Wassup Commercial (YouTube)01:28 - Dungeons & Dragons05:34 - Coudal Partners07:36 - Minimum Viable Product (Wikipedia)09:00 - Gumroad09:03 - Stripe09:22 - Squarespace09:24 - Mailchimp17:33 - Basecamp Merch23:07 - Fingerspitzengefühl (Wikipedia)

Taking outside money to start your business may seem like a good idea, but there are a ton of strings attached... You give up control. Cashing out becomes the #1 priority. It's addictive. It's usually a bad deal. Customers become less important than investors... You get the idea. Outside money should never be plan A.Show Notes03:15 - How WhatsApp Makes Money (Investopedia)13:28 - 37signals changing name to Basecamp, shedding products (Chicago Tribune)22:40 - The deal Jeff Bezos got on Basecamp (Signal v. Noise)

Last episode we discussed how important it is to stand for something and you'd think writing your values down in a mission statement would be a great way to let people know exactly what you stand for. Well, you'd be wrong. Mission statements are almost always vapid, boring, platitudes that end up saying nothing at all. Even worse, they often turn people away entirely!Show Notes00:11 - Lex Fridman (YouTube)02:38 - The Soup Nazi - Seinfeld (Wikipedia)04:18 - 37signals manifesto05:08 - 1981 FedEx commercial (YouTube)05:17 - About Us (FedEx)05:45 - Values (Basecamp Employee Handbook)10:04 - Elevator pitch (Wikipedia)12:17 - About Us (Enterprise)15:41 - Nudge Nudge Wink Wink - Monty Python (YouTube)19:56 - What's the point of a Reservation - Seinfeld (YouTube)

Whenever you start something, especially a business it's important to know why you're doing what you're doing. Having strong opinions, standing for something, can help tremendously when it comes to making crucial decisions and creating super-fans.Show Notes03:27 - Embrace Constraints (Getting Real)04:09 - Signal v. Noise04:18 - It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work04:44 - Signal v. Noise is closed.08:24 - Citizens United v. FEC (Wikipedia)09:31 - Oracle11:07 - Pinkberry11:35 - Pinkberry sold to Cold Stone owner (CNBC)12:38 - Basecamp Launches (Signal v. Noise)14:38 - r/faxmachines (reddit)22:07 - Badass: Making Users Awesome - Kathy Sierra (Bookshop.org)25:53 - Tesla Model S Plaid

"There're just not enough hours in the day!" This is probably the most common excuse people give for not starting something. Well, guess what. There most definitely are a few hours you could probably squeeze in here and there. And, we're not saying you have to quit your day job to do it!Show Notes02:10 - Fortnite02:21 - Tetris Effect07:57 - Set Boundaries (Shape Up)09:37 - Jerry Maguire "Who's Coming With Me?" (YouTube)15:13 - How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation - Anne Helen Peterson (BuzzFeed News)19:40 - Gary Vaynerchuk23:43 - Stripe

Dive into the transformative power of taking action as Jason and David explore the idea that real insights come only when you start creating. They humorously reflect on whimsical ideas, contrast practical creativity with theoretical musings, and reveal the journey of a CRM into the Hay platform. The duo also discusses the enigmatic world of Stanley Kubrick, including the tension between him and Stephen King over 'The Shining.' Get ready for lighthearted insights and thoughtful reflections on creativity that promise to inspire!