REWORK

In this episode, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about why résumés, job titles, and career timelines take a back seat to what really matters when hiring — your actual work. They share how real-world examples cut through the noise, and open doors for people who may not have a traditional path.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:00 – Episode highlights
• 00:10 – Why final hiring decisions come down to a candidate’s actual work
• 03:50 – The 37Better redesign project
• 07:27 – How real project work reduces the guesswork of hiring
• 14:29 – Why creating work outside your portfolio shows your range and creativity
• 20:02 – Hiring when it hurts

Links and Resources:

• “Years of Evidence” from Jason Fried’s HEY World
• The 37Better Project (archived)
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Books by 37signals
• 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

In this bonus episode of REWORK, 37signals' co-founder and CTO David Heinemeier Hansson shares his exploration into Linux, development of Omarchy, and the company's decision to go all-in.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:43 – David's exploration into Linux and development of Omarchy
• 04:27 – How Omarchy is different, Hyprland, and tiling windows managers
• 11:05 – The joy and excitement in exploring something new
• 13:14 – The recent announcement David shared with the 37signals' team regarding Linux and Omarchy
• 21:20 – Why it's important for the team to be all-in on Omarchy
• 24:14 – Tips for overcoming the challenge of transitioning to Linux
• 28:20 – What this new system means for Omakub
• 30:24 – David's responds a few negative comments on X about the company's decision
• 34:25 – 37signals is releasing a new podcast later this year

Links and Resources:

• The company's internal announcement about moving to Omarchy 
• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

This week on The REWORK Podcast, 37signals' co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson explore a listener question about approaching software as art. They discuss the importance of having a point of view as you're building products.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:15 – Great software helps customers see things from the creator’s perspective
• 07:31 – A company’s worldview comes through in the product
• 14:09 – Your product’s point of view evolves as it takes shape
• 18:35 – The creation process is meant to stay flexible
• 20:05 – Solve one problem at a time to maintain a clear development flow

Links and Resources:

• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

37signals' co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson are back behind the mic with host Kimberly Rhodes. This week, they’re discussing balancing personal interests, health, and hobbies with business success. They discuss building a healthy company without it taking over your life.

Key Takeaways:

• 01:12 – Why business health is all about balance
• 05:48 – The hidden cost of overcomplicating your business
• 08:36 – Taking a closer look at how you're spending your time
• 15:10 – Leaders should be available
• 18:57 – The downside of over scheduling your days
• 20:44 – Basecamp’s approach to requesting people’s time
• 25:26 – Your outside interests don’t have to tie back to work

Links and Resources:

• Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency by Tom Demarco
• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson answer a fresh round of listener questions. They share how they stay focused when new ideas pop up, how structured work periods lead to steady progress, and why they’re careful about adding too much to their products.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:18 – Staying grounded by tackling one thing at a time
• 06:08 – How scheduled work cycles keep the team on track
• 11:58 – Trimming complexity to keep products lean
• 20:21 – A preview of what’s in store for Basecamp 5

Links and Resources:

• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

This week on The REWORK Podcast, host Kimberly Rhodes chats with 37signals' CEO and co-founder Jason Fried about the practice of openly sharing what the company is working on, inspired by his recent teaser videos for an upcoming product, Fizzy. Jason explains why building in public fosters connection, clarity, and curiosity.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:12 – The company's history of sharing teasers and early product previews
• 05:40 – The biggest risk in sharing previews
• 13:30 – Design review videos with programmers and designers
• 15:46 – Today’s transparency echoes former “Building Basecamp” workshops
• 18:14 – Anyone close to the product can lead a sneak peek

Links and Resources:

• “First Preview of Fizzy” from Jason Fried on LinkedIn
• Another Fizzy demo from Jason Fried on LinkedIn
• “Fizzy Teaser” from Jason Fried on X
• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

This week on The REWORK Podcast, host Kimberly Rhodes is joined by Jason Fried to talk about cover letters — what they say about a candidate, how they’re reviewed at 37signals, and why they still matter. Jason shares his take on the value of genuine effort, how AI can either help or hurt your chances, and why hiring should stay a human process.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:13 – A cover letter says more about you than your résumé ever could
• 03:35 – How using AI the right (or wrong) way shows up in applications
• 06:04 – Why a pre-screening team reads every cover letter first
• 07:18 – A thoughtful effort is often what gets you to the short list
• 13:36 – It’s easier than you think to spot procrastination
• 16:50 – At 37signals, hiring decisions are made by people—not algorithms

Links and Resources:

• “Cover Letters? Yes!” From Jason Fried’s HEY World
• “When You Review Hundreds of Cover Letters…” LinkedIn post by Jason Fried
• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson answer listener questions. They explain why keeping tabs on competitors isn’t part of their strategy, reflect on the changing face of leadership as younger CEOs step in, and talk about the energy that comes with fresh perspectives.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:22 – Why focusing on your customers matters more than watching competitors
• 05:55 – A new wave of CEOs is bringing a fresh approach to leadership
• 10:34 – Why you don’t always need a mentor—sometimes figuring it out is the best teacher
• 17:38 – Jason and David’s different views on handling employee roadblocks

Links and Resources:

• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

How much data do you really need to make good decisions? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about 37signals’ evolving relationship with analytics—from working with a full-time analyst to now focusing only on the numbers that truly matter. They share why gut feeling, curiosity, and margin often outweigh dashboards and reports—and how trimming the data obsession can lead to better, bolder decisions.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:09 – The shift from having a full-time data analyst to working without one
• 02:25 – Just because you can’t measure it doesn’t mean it’s not important
• 07:59 – Analytics don’t always drive product decisions
• 10:15 – How financial margin fuels freedom to experiment
• 13:42 – Don’t let data make you overly cautious
• 15:26 – David’s take on cutting unnecessary costs
• 19:48 – Weighing cost vs. value when making decisions

Links and Resources:

• Record or upload a video question for Jason and David
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, host Kimberly Rhodes puts 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in the hot seat with a round of rapid-fire questions — from favorite apps and founder skills to customer requests and what's coming next.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:11 – Favorite software that Jason and David use (that they haven't built)
• 03:42 – Underrated skills every founder should develop
• 06:26 – Times they’ve completely changed their minds on a decision
• 14:05 – Customer feature requests that likely won’t ever happen
• 15:36 – A new 37signals product is on the way

Links and Resources:

• Screen Studio – https://screen.studio/
• Obsidian – https://obsidian.md/
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X