Rework

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Rework

37signals

A podcast by 37signals about the better way to work and run your business.

21 minutes 10 seconds

Why we choose profit
In a world where constant reinvestment is celebrated, 37signals chooses profit. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about how profit gives them freedom, clarity, and staying power—not just for the company, but for their customers too. They make the case for building a business that’s solid, simple, and self-funded.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:27 – How being profitable is actually a choice
- 08:34 – Why it’s important to take money off the table
- 11:35 – Striking the right balance between ego and humility
- 15:00 – Profitability isn’t guaranteed forever
- 18:27 – Well-managed profits create reliability for customers
Links and Resources:
2 April 2025, 8:00 am
29 minutes 5 seconds

Build a business that runs without you
Can you build a company that thrives even when you’re not in the room? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about the jobs they've created for themselves and how they're able to step away without progress coming to a halt. They discuss the fine line between being involved and letting the team run things without them.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:14 – The importance of creating a job for yourself that you enjoy
- 02:45 – The tragedy of owning a business you don't love
- 06:56 – Staying relevant in your business and knowing when to step in
- 15:14 – Knowing when to step back so your team can grow
- 17:51 – Maintaining a life outside of your business and having work/life balance
- 20:36 – The parts of the business that require the founders' involvement
- 23:33 – Jason and David's stance of not being serial entrepreneurs
Links and Resources:
26 March 2025, 7:00 pm
26 minutes 46 seconds

Increasing Capacity
How do you do more without growing your team substantially? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share how they’re expanding their product lineup while keeping their team lean. They reflect on how their approach to building software has evolved, and how pushing into the unknown makes the work more exciting.
Key Takeaways
- 00:28 – How 37signals’ product lineup has evolved over time
- 08:00 – Why the company is adding a product designer to the team
- 15:07 – Finding the “fun” in creating new products
- 18:50 – Challenging yourself by stepping into the unknown
- 23:16 – Using real products as a way to do research and development
Links and Resources:
19 March 2025, 8:00 am
33 minutes 11 seconds

Roles at the company, staying involved as a founder & other listener questions
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson answer listener questions in this episode of The REWORK Podcast. They discuss the roles 37signals hires for (and the ones they don’t), the importance of staying accessible as a founder, and the thought process behind choosing a business structure.
Key Takeaways
- 00:16 – Employee roles at 37signals
- 04:33 – How non-programmers contribute to programming
- 16:44 – Techniques for writing job descriptions
- 18:47 – Tips for being an accessible founder
- 25:22 – Deciding on a business structure
Links and Resources:
12 March 2025, 8:00 am
21 minutes 28 seconds

Bringing Back Free
37signals' co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson are back to talk about the ins and outs of offering a product for free. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, they break down why they decided to reintroduce a free Basecamp plan, how offering free access can actually drive sales, and balancing analytics with instincts.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:45 – The original philosophy behind Basecamp’s free plan
- 03:14 – Going beyond the free trial
- 07:36 – Tracking analytics without getting lost in the numbers
- 12:48 – The true cost of offering something for free
- 19:13 – Pricing strategies for new products 37signals is building
Links and Resources:
5 March 2025, 9:00 am
24 minutes 30 seconds

Managing vs. Mentoring
There are no full-time managers at 37signals, but that doesn't mean the company is void of mentorship. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, host Kimberly Rhodes chats with Principal Programmer Jeffrey Hardy as he breaks down the company’s focus on peer-to-peer mentorship. They discuss hiring practices that allow for less management and what mentorship looks like amongst the team.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:42 – Meet Jeffrey Hardy, Principal Programmer
- 02:09 – The evolution of 37signals' management structure
- 05:19 – Replacing managers with mentors
- 10:53 – How hiring impacts the ability to operate without managers
- 13:35 – The power of seeking entrepreneurial experience
- 15:10 – A day in the life of a mentor
- 17:40 – Tips for being a better mentor
Links and Resources:
12 February 2025, 9:00 am
14 minutes 55 seconds

Blogging Isn't Dead
Does blogging still matter in tech? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, host Kimberly Rhodes chats with 37signals' Principal Programmer Jorge Manrubia about why blogging is very much alive. They dig into the history of the 37signals developers blog, the company's process for contributions, and the added benefits this communication tool provides.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:50 – Meet Jorge
- 01:03 – The history of the 37signals developers blog
- 02:25 – The process — who contributes and how topics are decided
- 05:09 – Benefits of writing on the blog and sharing content with the public
- 07:40 – What to consider when starting a company blog
- 09:43 – Sharing code isn’t as revealing as you might think
- 11:28 – Secondary benefits of sharing your content
- 13:30 – What’s next for the blog?
Links and Resources:
5 February 2025, 9:00 am
18 minutes 58 seconds

Building a Community
There is a way to bring your customers together in a meaningful way. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, host Kimberly Rhodes welcomes 37signals' Support Team members Merissa Dawson and Ashley Bowe to discuss how the Basecamp Community came to life. They describe how they've connected with Basecamp customers and how they've connected customers with each other. They also offer a few tips for anyone looking to start their own community of customers and company enthusiasts.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:40 – Meet Merissa and Ashley from Basecamp Support
- 01:54 – The Basecamp Community origin story
- 05:03 – The Community as a place for sharing and collaboration
- 07:20 – The 37signals team role within the Community
- 09:08 – Starting a community without fear of failure
- 13:27 – Tips for starting your own community of users and fans
Links and Resources:
29 January 2025, 9:00 am
20 minutes 43 seconds

Support is a Feature
Customer support is more than just a department — it’s a core feature of any great product. In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, Kimberly Rhodes chats with Chase Clemons, Head of Customer Support at 37signals, about the company's view of support as a product feature. They discuss 37signals' approach to helping customers, the value of ongoing training, and how AI can fit into support strategy without sacrificing the personal connection.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:37 – Chase Clemons, Head of Support at 37signals
- 02:12 – Customer Support is a feature, not a cost center.
- 04:09 – Support should focus on the customer experience
- 06:36 – Using case studies to train your support team
- 07:49 – Team members are trusted to use good judgment
- 09:58 – Maintaining a friendly, conversational tone with customers
- 11:27 – Measuring success in Customer Support
- 14:12 – AI vs. the human element in Support
- 17:25 – Encourage customers to reach out
Links and Resources:
22 January 2025, 9:00 am
19 minutes 51 seconds

Hire When It Hurts
Wondering when it’s the right time to grow your team? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals' co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson chat about their “hire when it hurts” approach as described in their book REWORK. They cover why you shouldn’t rush into bringing someone on board, how to know when there's a critical business need, and how to seize the moment when the right people show up.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:38 – Try tackling projects with the team you already have before hiring
- 02:43 – Some roles don’t call for a full-time position
- 07:33 – Knowing the difference between an actual staffing shortage vs. just being busy
- 09:48 – A workload spike doesn’t always mean it’s time to expand
- 12:33 – Snagging available talent early if you’re already planning to hire soon
- 15:35 – One open position can become multiple hires when the talent pool is just right
Links and Resources:
15 January 2025, 9:00 am
22 minutes 54 seconds

Seven Shipping Principles
How does 37signals decide when software is ready to ship? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals’ co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson discuss the company's Seven Shipping Principles. They dive into when a product update is good enough to ship and the importance of making updates to solve actual problems.
Key Takeaways:
- 00:11 – We only ship good work.
- 03:36 – The problem with MVPs
- 04:41 – We ship when we're confident.
- 10:08 – We own the issues after we ship.
- 13:41 – We don’t ship if it isn’t right.
- 17:11 – Making sure your solution tackles a real problem
- 20:00 – We ship to our appetite.
Links and Resources:
8 January 2025, 9:00 am
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