Connecting with customers is part of the job. In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share why staying close to the people who use your product still matters, even as companies scale. They touch on writing customers directly, keeping the door open after the first reply, and why real conversations beat shouting into the social media void.

Key Takeaways

• 00:11 – Writing customers from a real inbox
• 05:21 – Building real relationships with the people who use your product
• 11:34 – Keeping the line open after the first exchange
• 14:07 – Why email still feels more personal than sliding into DMs
• 19:29 – Getting to know who your customers actually are
• 21:55 – Why real human connection is still the point

Links and Resources

• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

Sometimes speed matters more than polish. In this episode, the team shares how a HEY Calendar feature went from idea to shipped in about a day — and what made that possible. It’s a look at when moving quickly helps, when it doesn’t, and how writing clean code gives you room to change your mind later without breaking everything.

Key Takeaways

• 00:11 – Shipping a new feature in roughly a day
• 03:14 – Catching the moment while it's hot
• 08:02 – Shortening the path from idea to implementation
• 12:04 – Making change easier with clean, thoughtful code
• 19:42 – Designing things that hold up and are easy to fix
• 22:51 – Building for the future

Links and Resources

• "Building HEY Calendar's Year View" from Michelle Harjani's HEY World
• Maintenance of Everything (Part One) by Stewart Brand
• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X

The confetti’s settled. The product is out in the world. So… what happens next? Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share what the days after a launch actually look like at 37signals. They discuss not letting early numbers steer the ship, making space for rest after the push, and remembering that shipping is just the start, not the finish line.

Key Takeaways

• 00:10 – What happens shortly after launch
• 02:09 – Dialing the team back
• 05:10 – Product touch ups and enhancements
• 06:16 – Returning to a familiar work rhythm
• 07:16 – Balancing the product push with real breaks
• 10:39 – Not letting early signups call the shots
• 20:32 – Sticking with what works for your team
• 22:00 – Putting the product ahead of quick money moves
• 27:26 – Why launch buzz doesn’t last forever

Links and Resources

• The Great Falls of Boeing, Intel, and Apple from David Heinemeier Hansson's HEY World
• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do
• Record a video question for the podcast
• Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X