recently, i was exploring the internet. as usual, i get lost in github repos, reddit forums, youtube videos, twitter posts and so on. in the middle of that exploration, i found something interesting. i went deeper into it, and ended up at the root: 37 signals.
my focus on 37signals was aimed at some lessons on their website! i’ll only translate below the signals i consider useful, also linking to the original. this is a different kind of article — i’m not trying to say what i think, i’m just sharing other people’s thoughts that i believe are real, useful and important. here’s the list:
1. An obligation of independence
We have no investors, no board of directors, no exit plans. We feel a moral obligation to exercise our independence. To do things no one would give us permission to do. To try things other companies would be afraid to try. To ignore the safe and seek the original.
2. Work is not a war
Corporate language is full of war metaphors. Companies “conquer” the market, “capture” the public’s attention, “target” customers, employ a sales “force,” hire “headhunters,” “destroy” the competition, pick their “battles,” and make a “killing.” That’s a terrible paradigm and we want nothing to do with it. Work is not a war. We come in peace.
3. Small teams
It’s possible to do great things with small teams, but it’s hard to do small things with large teams. And often, small is enough. That’s the power of small: you do what needs to be done, instead of overdoing it.
4. Profit motive
The tech industry is especially good at losing money. Growth is electric, but profits are hard to come by. We take a traditional, Economics 101 approach: make more than you spend. That’s why we’ve been profitable every year we’ve been in business. It’s the responsible way to be reliable and take care of customers in the long run.
5. Err on the side of action
The tendency to postpone, put off, or delay is strong. No. Act and move on. And act again if needed — most decisions are temporary anyway.
7. We don’t sell you.
They say if you’re not paying for what you use, you’re the one being sold. Not here. We don’t sell customer data to anyone, and we don’t use personal information to serve targeted ads. We make a product, people pay for it, and the transaction is complete. Our business model is to sell products, not to sell you.
8. 8/8/8
8 hours for work, 8 hours for life, 8 hours for sleep. That’s a fair formula. It’s not about work-life balance, but about work, life, and sleep. Lack of sleep isn’t something to be proud of — it’s a sign of stupidity, literally. Read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.
9. Not ASAP
The expectation of an immediate reply is everywhere. Everything in real time isn’t human, but that’s how many people work and communicate these days. We don’t. We think urgency is overrated and that “as soon as possible” is poison. Most of the time, real time is the wrong time.
10. The Fortune 5,000,000
Companies are obsessed with chasing the big Fortune 500 clients. That’s boring. We’re more interested in the Fortune 5,000,000 — small and medium businesses like ours. They’re underserved, ignored, and don’t get the respect they deserve. We’re here to help them.