Rework

About the book

Book author: Jason Friend & David Heinemeier Hansson

Rework is written by the founders of 37signals, the company behind Basecamp. It is about entrepreneurship and how to build and run a small company in a modern way. It doesn’t have much jargon – just raw advice. Every chapter discusses a point or lesson and is very short (1-2 pages).

Reflection and takeaways

These were the takeaways and ideas that I liked the most, but there were many more.

Go and do your idea, dont just think about it.

There is always time if you really want it. You don’t have to overwork yourself, just do it one hour every day instead of wasting it on the couch. Consistency is the secret. Pretty obvious.

Build what you need and want for extra spark

The best way to be motivated is to build a product that is something you need and want yourself. Apparently, Basecamp and Ruby on Rails started out like that. You will do better work because you care.

It requires less stuff and money than you think. Great companies have started in garages on one server.

Very true today. Code and media is infinite leverage. You don’t need so much, and you can scale on demand. Just start simple.

Detail doesn’t buy you anything in the early stages. Start building and then you will see what you really need

I just really agree with this advice a lot. I always have. I have no idea why people insist on technological beauty and complicated solutions. I have a theory it is to look smart, even if it costs the business.

Commit to making decisions. Instead of “lets think about it”, say “lets decide on it”

This one is really good and I will apply it more. It’s easier to build on a decision rather than a maybe, and you can hopefully undo it later if it is a really bad decision.

Build a business, not a startup

Too many people obsess over tools, software tricks, scaling issues, fancy offices, lavish furniture, and other frivolities instead of what really matters. And what really matters is how to get customers and make money.

What you should focus on is value. There are many growth-based VC-funded companies today that make no profit, but profit really is at the core of what a business is. Don’t buy into that. The authors say preferrably don’t accept VC money because you will be beholden to them.

Sell your by-products (Sawdust, chips, shredded wood)

Ruby on Rails was a by-product of building Basecamp. Apparently, a lot of companies sell their byproducts and it is great value. Sometimes, these byproducts become Top 500 companies. Why not?

Ask why you are doing something; company world is filled with dead documents

Don’t even get me started on this – the company world is filled with bullshit. A lot of projects are doomed from the start and money is being burnt at a frightening rate all the time. It really can turn you cynical, unless you detach a little bit. It happens because weird incentives and no skin in the game. Always ask and why what you are doing.

Your day is under siege by interruptions. It’s on you to fight back.

This could not be more true. Stolen Focus by Johann Hari is a great book on the subject. Basically, try to not attend so many meetings, do not reply immediately, prefer asynchronous communication.

Meetings are toxic

Much to be said here. First, meeting time cost is scaled linearly depending on how many people attend; i.e a 1 hour meeting with 10 people is 10 hours. Sometimes, people don’t even decide things on the meeting in question. In my own experience, the best meetings are ones where you decide what the meeting is about the first thing you do, or you already come prepared with an agenda. Think clearly if it really needs to be a meeting of if it can be communicated in some other form.

Judo solutions

I love judo. Judo is a great martial art because it is based on efficiency. It’s not so hard to throw people if you off-balance them first, even though they might be heavier than yourself. A lot of problems have judo solutions, you should look for them. You can get very far with very little. I loved their analogy.

Momentum is key - break into small things to keep you going

For every small task completed on the road to your goal, there is a little hit of dopamine. It will keep you motivated. Break your goal up into increments. It’s the same as when you are long-distance running: just keep running to the next fence post, or just take 5 more steps. It crushes morale to think “oh god – another 20km to the end”. It’s ridiculously proven when you are hiking up mountains – when you look at the colossal scale of it you are convinced “it is not possible to climb that in a few hours” but it really is – keep grinding and you are suddenly at the top.

Make tiny decisions

Make a lot of tiny decisions instead of pondering too much. It’s easy to build on a decision, it’s not easy to build on hypothetical discussions.

Don’t worry about the competition

You can’t plan for it, and you become reactionary instead of visionary. Focus on your own company and product instead.

Welcome obscurity

Obscurity is a great place to be in because nobody knows you, or cares what you do, so you can try things, fail fast, and learn. It’s much harder when you are big.

Hire the greatest writer

Chances are, all else being equal, that the greatest writer is the best candidate for the job. I agree with this statement because in my own experience, wether personal or professional, bad communication is the root of most evil and mistakes. A good writer will communicate better. I think writing these book reflections have helped me tons.

Own your bad news

If you screw up, it’s better if you talk about it rather than others start talking about it, because the cat is out of the bag, and so they will. I really like this. Take ownership, be human. I really liked the examples in the book where an oil executive was on-site taking charge and helping out with the cleaning of an oil spill. It’s very rare to find people with that kind of integrity.

Speed changes everything

Getting back to customers quickly changes much about the impression you give. My favourite people to deal with in my own business is people who communicate fast.

Put everyone on the front lines

It’s good to switch roles a little bit so that you understand all parts of your business. Moreover, this makes hiring much easier. I like how the ultra-rich Craigslist founder is answering customer support queries and moderating content.

Emulate drug dealers

Drug dealers give a little bit of product away for free, hoping that it is so good people come back. Car salespeople do this too. It’s a really old trick. If you offer a great product you can do this with confidence.

Say no by default

It’s much better to say no rather than yes. You rarely regret a no, but you can really regret a yes.

Why did I pick it

A former colleague read it and recommended it to me.

Verdict

3.⁸⁄₅. Really good, really concise, rarely did not agree. It was a breath of fresh air.