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Work Less, Give Your Customers Less... and Succeed Like 37Sig...

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Saved by 5 people (0 private), first by anonymouse user on 2008-06-06


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“When you’re competing against companies that have so much more, the only answer is to do less,” Jason and David told me. “Do less than your competitors to beat them. Instead of one-upping other companies, one-down them. Instead of out-doing other products, under-do them.” I get it, I responded: Less is more, right? Jason and David shook their heads. “No, less is less—because more is not better! Everyone tries to do too much: solve too many problems, build products with too many features. Our goal is to do less, to build half a product rather than a half-assed product. So we say ‘no’ to almost everything. If you include every decent idea that comes along, you'll just wind up with a half-assed version of your product. What you really want to do is build half a product that kicks ass.”

Highlighted by piggex

“When you’re competing against companies that have so much more, the only answer is to do less,” Jason and David told me. “Do less than your competitors to beat them. Instead of one-upping other companies, one-down them. Instead of out-doing other products, under-do them.” I get it, I responded: Less is more, right? Jason and David shook their heads. “No, less is less—because more is not better! Everyone tries to do too much: solve too many problems, build products with too many features. Our goal is to do less, to build half a product rather than a half-assed product. So we say ‘no’ to almost everything. If you include every decent idea that comes along, you'll just wind up with a half-assed version of your product. What you really want to do is build half a product that kicks ass.”

Highlighted by piggex

“When you’re competing against companies that have so much more, the only answer is to do less,” Jason and David told me. “Do less than your competitors to beat them. Instead of one-upping other companies, one-down them. Instead of out-doing other products, under-do them.”

I get it, I responded: Less is more, right? Jason and David shook their heads. “No, less is less—because more is not better! Everyone tries to do too much: solve too many problems, build products with too many features. Our goal is to do less, to build half a product rather than a half-assed product. So we say ‘no’ to almost everything. If you include every decent idea that comes along, you'll just wind up with a half-assed version of your product. What you really want to do is build half a product that kicks ass.”

Highlighted by jangondol

It’s a provocative challenge to a business culture addicted to more—whether that’s features of finances. “Revenue growth in and of itself is not a goal,” Jason and David insist. “We are about profits—profits per employee. And growth forever is not sustainable. There is a right size for certain things, at least if you want to do them well.”

Highlighted by jangondol

push themselves to spend less money and hire fewer colleagues. They also insist on working fewer hours. The company recently adopted an official four-day workweek, the better to keep everyone fresh, energized, and forced to avoid distractions.

Highlighted by jangondol

Do one thing, do it right, and you cannot fail. Bill is correct in that the more you try to be everything to everyone the greater chance of disappointing your customers and the greater chance of failure.

Highlighted by jangondol