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:

• Books by 37signals
• 30-day free trial of HEY
• 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