You Should Read This Book . . .
August 2, 2010
You might have heard of a popular online project management product called Basecamp. It has become the product of choice for many small businesses that need software to manage projects. We use it at Accounting Cycle. It is simple, easy to use and has most of what you will need to manage a project. The company that owns Basecamp is 37Signals based in Chicago. They have a very interesting story.
In addition to building great software, they like to impart of their wisdom by blogging and have also written a couple of books. Their latest book is called, REWORK by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. It is a collection of essays and thoughts about their principles and rules on how to run a small business. This is not your typical business book. The guys at 37Signals get to the point very quickly. Every page contains useful ideas on how you can rework your business. There is no filler here.
What I Liked: REWORK makes you question a lot of what you do as a business owner. It is very practical in its approach and easy on the philosophy end of it. It is also a very easy read (lots of pictures).
What I Disliked: Sometimes the authors come off as arrogant and convey that there way is the only right way to run a business. Despite this feeling at times I think that the authors are genuine and that they have tried and tested these principles. I believe they live these things with conviction and it’s working for them.
This is a definite must read. If you like it and you want to read more of what they have to say, Jason Fried has a regular column in Inc. magazine and an interesting blog.