Rework and how to change the way you work forever
Rework is the latest book from the guys at 37 signals. This company is mostly known for its online project management software, Basecamp. A tool, which I can strongly recommend, having been using it for years. Rework is about how you need to forever change the way you work. It is now time to change your habits and adopt the concepts that are making a difference.
The Rework Book
The Rework Book
First thing first
The first things that the authors Jason and David are claiming is that there is a new reality for businesses and those that are ignoring it do it at their own peril. The internet and information technologies have made it easy for anybody to start their own business and be successful.
Forget about the real world
What the 37 signals guys stands for will be a bit revolutionary for some and for others definitely unconventional to say the least. They claim that in today’s economy you will need to forget about the real world, forget about growth and workaholism and learn from you successes and not from your failures. They say that one shouldn’t become an entrepreneur (as this word has a lot of connotations) but instead be a starter and someone that get things done.
Go, instead of waiting for…no more excuses
This chapter is about the importance of starting now, not tomorrow. Stop making plans and guessing the future. Instead, start to make money now. A good approach to improve you chance of success is to scratch your own itch. For example, 37 Signals, instead of being busy making market researches, they brought a solution to their own internal problem. Not a surprise that when it worked for them and improved their work flow it also offered the same benefit to their clients.
Progress and the importance of launching NOW
Too many businesses want to deliver the perfect product, but it might be a better alternative to deliver half a product with only basic features but for a fraction of the cost and time. Be your own curator. As we mentioned before if it’s resolving your own problem it will resolve someone else as well. Don’t forget about the by-products, which can be a good source of revenue as well. A good example is their Rework book, which is a by-product, developed from the knowledge gained from their primary business, creating software and dealing with customers.
The art of being more productive
If you want to be productive you need to start being real honest with yourself. You need to really focus on what is important. Focus on the actions that produce results. Forget the rest. That means stop checking your emails every five minutes, stop going to meetings and stop making estimation. A 5 years marketing plan? Are you kidding me? It’s not realistic. Everything is changing too fast. Therefore what you need to do now is make small lists, accept good enough and make tiny decisions.
Rework book artwork
Rework book artwork
How to deal with the competition?
First don’t try to copy the competition. It might be easy but you will not understand the process behind. If you want to be a linchpin and an artist you need to create your own map. Most businesses want to over do the competition by having more options, more features…but the better approach is to under do (as crazy as it sounds). Make things simple. They also mention the importance of picking a fight with them.
How to evolve you business or products?
Most products are “in store good” which means that because of the packaging and marketing you are so impressed by the product that you decide to buy it. However, when you get home and start using it you are unimpressed to say the least. What Jason and David are proposing is the other way around. Have a product that is “at home good”. A product that isn’t that impressive on the shelf but when you start using it, that is when the magic happens. You might be sure that this is a better approach to retain you customers.
Another key notion is about the cliché of the customer being always right. At 37 Signals, they say no by default. End of story.
How to promote your products?
One of the best promotion strategies you can have is the drug dealer technique, which consists of giving a free sample to their client. The product is so good, that they know the customer will come back for more. So give a basic version of your product for free, and if it’s really good, you won’t have any problem finding customers. In order to build an audience it is essentials that you select a niche market and understand it well and know what makes them tick?
As we mentioned before don’t try to outdo you competition but instead try to out teach teams. Give your audience quality content
When to hire and who?
The authors’ advice is that you should only hire when it is absolutely essential. Only when it really hurts. So many start-ups fail because they over hire. Not to mention that is never a fun task to fire someone. When you however need to hire someone, don’t base your judgement on a piece of paper (on a CV) but try to do a test drive on a small project and see if there is a good fit. Don’t hire the best, but the most remarkable, the one with the edge and if all else being the same, opt for the best writer.
How to create a business Culture?
You cannot force this to happen. This must happen in an organic way and be a product of the team consistent behaviour. Acknowledge that your team also have a life outside of work is a good start. No work should be allowed after 5. If you can’t produce the results in a normal shift, chances are that more hours isn’t the solution.
Conclusion
Start implementing your ideas and solutions now, as tomorrow might be too late. Keep in mind that inspiration is perishable and should be acted upon when its fresh.
These are only some elements of this remarkable book and therefore strongly suggest to have a complete read. A free version of some of the chapters are available here.
Rework book Mind Map
Here is the Rework book mind-map. Click here to view the mind-map in a lightbox or click here to open it in a new window.
Rework book Mind Map
