Profit matters, but it’s not the whole story. In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about building a company around independence instead of endless growth. They reflect on finding the right size for a business, keeping costs low to preserve freedom, and choosing a long, sustainable run over chasing scale at any cost.

Key Takeaways

• 00:10 – Finding your “orbit” when you don’t need to keep pushing for more
• 03:39 – Letting go of the idea that growth has to be endless
• 09:05 – Choosing independence instead of outside pressure
• 17:48 – Keeping costs low so you have room to try things your way
• 19:57 – Why steady can beat getting bigger

Links and Resources

• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

Not every decision comes from a spreadsheet. In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about trusting your instincts when building something new. They share how experience sharpens those instincts over time, and how real products produce the feedback that actually moves things forward.

Key Takeaways

• 00:11 – Letting your gut guide decisions
• 03:54 – Strengthening instincts through real choices
• 05:08 – Sometimes the best move is simply to build it
• 07:49 – Breaking free from analysis paralysis
• 15:02 – Real products bring real feedback
• 17:11 – Learning to trust your own judgment
• 18:26 – Welcoming feedback instead of fearing it

Links and Resources

• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

Following up on an earlier conversation about AI, this episode shifts to the product side of the discussion. Host Kimberly Rhodes chats with 37signals CEO and co-founder Jason Fried about his daily AI use, what it's helped him do more efficiently, customer expectations, and how he's thinking about AI's role in future product updates.

Key Takeaways

• 00:12 – Putting AI tools to work
• 06:42 – Using AI to reclaim time, not replace thinking
• 12:19 – Where 37signals sees thoughtful implementation fitting in
• 17:16 – Why rushing adoption can backfire
• 18:25 – The ongoing debate from the customer perspective
• 21:45 – Why workforce changes aren’t always tied to automation
• 25:40 – Human interaction still matters

Links and Resources

• The owner's word weighs a ton by Jason Fried on Signal v. Noise
• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

Connecting with customers is part of the job. In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share why staying close to the people who use your product still matters, even as companies scale. They touch on writing customers directly, keeping the door open after the first reply, and why real conversations beat shouting into the social media void.

Key Takeaways

• 00:11 – Writing customers from a real inbox
• 05:21 – Building real relationships with the people who use your product
• 11:34 – Keeping the line open after the first exchange
• 14:07 – Why email still feels more personal than sliding into DMs
• 19:29 – Getting to know who your customers actually are
• 21:55 – Why real human connection is still the point

Links and Resources

• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

Sometimes speed matters more than polish. In this episode, the team shares how a HEY Calendar feature went from idea to shipped in about a day — and what made that possible. It’s a look at when moving quickly helps, when it doesn’t, and how writing clean code gives you room to change your mind later without breaking everything.

Key Takeaways

• 00:11 – Shipping a new feature in roughly a day
• 03:14 – Catching the moment while it's hot
• 08:02 – Shortening the path from idea to implementation
• 12:04 – Making change easier with clean, thoughtful code
• 19:42 – Designing things that hold up and are easy to fix
• 22:51 – Building for the future

Links and Resources

• "Building HEY Calendar's Year View" from Michelle Harjani's HEY World
• Maintenance of Everything (Part One) by Stewart Brand
• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

The confetti’s settled. The product is out in the world. So… what happens next? Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share what the days after a launch actually look like at 37signals. They discuss not letting early numbers steer the ship, making space for rest after the push, and remembering that shipping is just the start, not the finish line.

Key Takeaways

• 00:10 – What happens shortly after launch
• 02:09 – Dialing the team back
• 05:10 – Product touch ups and enhancements
• 06:16 – Returning to a familiar work rhythm
• 07:16 – Balancing the product push with real breaks
• 10:39 – Not letting early signups call the shots
• 20:32 – Sticking with what works for your team
• 22:00 – Putting the product ahead of quick money moves
• 27:26 – Why launch buzz doesn’t last forever

Links and Resources

• The Great Falls of Boeing, Intel, and Apple from David Heinemeier Hansson's HEY World
• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

A fresh batch of listener questions leads this week's conversation. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk through how they approach product walkthroughs, what's ahead for open code at 37signals, and why a little fun still belongs in serious software.

Key Takeaways

• 00:22 – Recording product walkthroughs without scripts or polish
• 11:45 – Writebook as an open source product
• 15:04 – How the 37signals team uses Basecamp and Fizzy together
• 22:52 – The quiet joy of Easter eggs and playful details in software

Links and Resources

• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

Coming up with a product name doesn’t have to be complicated. In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share when in the development process a name is chosen, how several of their products got their names, and why keeping things simple usually wins. They talk about what's worth considering and what's not worth a second thought.

Key Takeaways

• 00:10 – How Fizzy got its name and what it was almost called
• 04:29 – No name ever checks every box
• 10:25 – When an available domain influences the choice
• 13:18 – The legal realities
• 17:26 – What’s behind the name Omarchy (and how do you actually say it?)
• 20:12 – Good names work by making an easy connection

Links and Resources

• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

AI has moved fast, and so has 37signals’ thinking. This week, host Kimberly Rhodes talks to co-founder and CTO David Heinemeier Hansson about the progress AI has made over the last few months. David shares what’s changed, what’s actually useful now, and why his outlook has grown more optimistic.

Key Takeaways

• 00:11 – How today’s AI feels dramatically more powerful
• 05:05 – David’s real-world experience working with AI agents
• 23:36 – How AI can help non-programmers
• 31:05 – Why the upside of AI outweighs the potential risks

Links and Resources

• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

Good ideas rarely belong in just one place. This week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share how 37signals lets concepts move freely across products, turning one solid idea into many useful ones. They talk about borrowing from the past without getting stuck in it, giving new concepts time to catch on, and keeping space for creativity as products evolve.

Key Takeaways

• 00:11 – Letting strong ideas travel between products
• 02:49 – Giving each product its own design voice
• 07:26 – Bringing back old features when it makes sense
• 12:03 – Avoiding nostalgia just for the sake of it
• 17:55 – Using real-world use to guide product improvements
• 22:10 – Keeping your creative process flexible
• 23:57 – Leaving space for fun in the design
• 31:13 – Designing around feel instead of rules

Links and Resources

• Newcity Design magazine
• Segura Inc. (Carlos Segura’s Design Firm)
• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X