Jason Fried

Founder & CEO at 37signals (makers of Basecamp and HEY). Non-serial entrepreneur, serial author (Getting Real, REWORK, REMOTE, It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work). Email me at jason@hey.com.

Co-founder & CEO

THE BIG REGRESSION

My folks are in town visiting us for a couple months so we rented them a house nearby.

It’s new construction. It’s amped up with state of the art systems. The ones with touchscreens of various sizes, IoT appliances, and interfaces on everything.

And it’s terrible. What a regression.

The lights are powered by Control4. They require a demo to understand how to use the switches, understand which ones control what, and to be sure not to hit THAT ONE because it’ll turn off all the lights in the house when you didn’t mean to. Worse.

The TV is the latest Samsung which has a baffling UI just to watch CNN. My parents aren’t idiots, but definitely feel like they’re missing something obvious. They aren’t — TVs have simply gotten worse. You don’t turn them on, you boot them up.

The new Miele dishwasher wouldn’t even operate the first time without connecting it to an app. This meant another call to the house manager to have them install an app they didn’t know they needed either. An app to clean some peanut butter off a plate? For serious? Worse.

Thermostats... Nest would have been fine, but these other proprietary ones from some other company trying to be Nest-like are baffling. Round touchscreens that take you into a dark labyrinth of options just to be sure it’s set at 68. Or is it 68 now? Or is that what we want it at, but it’s at 72? Wait... What? Which number is this? Worse.

The alarm system is essentially a 10” iPad bolted to the wall that has the fucking weather forecast on it. And it's so bright! I’m sure there’s a way to turn that off, but then the screen would be filled with the news instead. Why isn't this just the alarm? Worse.

And there's lag and delay everywhere. Everything feels a beat or two behind. Lag is the giveaway that the system is working too hard for too little.

Now look... I’m no luddite. But this experience is close to conversion therapy. Tech can make things better, but not here. I’ve heard the pitches — you can set up scenes so one button can change EVERYTHING. Not buying it. It actually feels primitive, like we haven’t figured out how to make things easy yet. That some breakthrough will eventually come when you can simply knock a switch up or down and it’ll all makes sense.

It’s really the contrast that makes it alarming. We just got back from a vacation in Montana. Rented a house there. They did have a fancy TV — seems those can’t be avoided these days — but everything else was old school and clear. Physical up/down light switches in the right places. Appliances without the internet. Buttons with depth and physically-confirmed state change rather than surfaces that don’t obviously register your choice. More traditional round rotating Honeywell thermostats that are just clear and obvious. No tours, no instructions, no questions, no fearing you’re going to do something wrong, no wondering how something works. Useful and universally clear. That’s human, that’s modern.

AGAIN?

When we measure things, answers usually come as numbers. But there’s a different kind of measurement I have in mind most of the time.

It’s a simple, one-word question: Again?

You can go through rigorous employee performance reviews to try to decide if someone’s doing their job well, or you can simply ask “Knowing what we know now, would we hire this person AGAIN?”

You can load up the calendar with postmortems and data analysis sessions, or you can simply ask “Would we want to do that AGAIN?”

You can attempt to justify to yourself why something made sense on paper, or you can simply ask “Would I make that decision AGAIN?”

Do I want to work with this team AGAIN? Would I want to work at this company AGAIN? Would I want to work on this project or product AGAIN? Would I want to visit this city AGAIN?

At this point, I quietly ask myself “Again?” all the time. When things go right, when things go wrong, when I’m not even sure which way they’ve gone, I’ll ask myself “Again?” The answer is obvious.

What’s great about this is that things that would objectively measure as “wrong” can be absolutely worth it when you ask the question “Again?” With again, you aren’t just measuring outcome, you’re also measuring experience. Experience contains outcome, and a whole lot more.

Maybe that was a flop commercially, but it was worth it broadly, so yes, I’d still do it all over again. Or, wow, that was a smashing success but it really beat me down... Would I do it again? “No” is perfectly valid, and correct, in that case.

Asking “Again?” is one of the simplest things you can do, and it’ll mine some of the richest answers you’ll find. It tells the whole truth in a way that numbers never do.

The original Cuisinart was peak interface/appliance design.

Two perfect paddle buttons.

One for ON that catches and stays down for continual operation.

And one for PULSE/OFF that does exactly what it says. It doesn't stay down, it returns to reset when you let go. Hold it down as long as you want to pulse. Let go and it stops. Or just push it down to disengage ON, and turn it off.

The description may sound a bit convoluted because of the dual purpose PULSE/OFF button, but when you use it it's absolutely obvious. And couldn't be better.

Big flat toggle buttons under satisfying tension. Clear affordances. You push them down, not in. One click catches, one doesn't. You can use them with bare hands, oven mitts, fingers coated in slippery whatever. Doesn't matter. Plenty of surface area.

Outstanding design. It's been all downhill from there.

ANYTHING DESIGNERS

Do designers like Raymond Lowey or Henry Dreyfus exist anymore? Designers who can design anything?

These guys designed locomotives, thermostats, telephones, buildings, ocean liners, company logos, typewriters, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, product packaging, cars, bottles, aircraft interiors, livery, stamps, radios, tractors, even space station interiors!

The depth, breadth, quality, and taste of their work is astonishing. Where are these people today? Who are these people today? Who's working across so many different industries, mediums, product types, and categories at such a high level?

https://lnkd.in/gKC2UYFt
https://lnkd.in/gd5G-PSJ

What's your longest software relationship?

Basecamp and I have been together since 2008. We've never even discussed seeing other project management tools.

It helped me win student body president at Northwestern. I launched the very first coding bootcamp with it and orchestrated a Chicago mayoral campaign on it. It powered every course I've taught, and every Techstars program I've managed. Now it's how we run customer discovery at Shokuna, with some AI automations I've wired up on top of it.

37signals has been building for the web since 1999. They launched Basecamp  in 2004. And now I'm watching Jason tease "Basecamp 5" like it's a Marvel post-credits scene.

So now I'm curious: What software has actually stuck for you? Not what IT force-fed you - what you chose, kept choosing, and would mass-email your complaints about if they ever killed it?

QCard Enterprise

QCard helps professionals and businesses thrive in today’s fast-paced, digitally-driven world by transforming how they engage with clients and prospects. Through our cutting-edge SaaS platform, QCard enables users to effortlessly share their professional profiles, create meaningful connections, and elevate their brand.

QCard helps clients streamline networking, enhance client relationships, and improve brand visibility through digital business cards and personalized professional profiles. We collaborate closely with professionals from different industries to align on strategic goals, ensuring our platform delivers tangible results, whether at conferences, meetings, or online interactions.

QCard empowers professionals to leave a lasting impression, foster stronger relationships, and grow their reach in an increasingly connected world.

FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency

Board Member

FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency, helps companies win with today’s customers who reserve their loyalty for brands that deliver elegant and convenient digitally-powered experiences. 

FROM’s work includes business strategy, customer journey mapping and the design and technical implementation of a wide range of touchpoints from web sites to mobile apps to sales tools, POS systems, and “next gen” interfaces such as voice and VR. 

We have a track record of delivering award-winning results that more importantly drive customer enthusiasm and bottom line results. To achieve this, we work side-by-side with leaders from every part of our clients’ organizations to help them align on a winning vision and transform their teams, processes, technology and even business model to deliver on that vision in the marketplace. 

Our clients include a long list of well known brands including leaders in shopping, financial services, travel, sports and entertainment such as Avis-Budget, NBC, JPMC, A&E, Mattel, AAA, Barnes & Noble Education, Mall of America, Transamerica, Airbus, Dun & Bradstreet, Facebook, Verizon, Spotify and Amazon.

Founder/CEO

New York University - Tisch School of the Arts - ITP Program

Loved teaching in the Graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), which is part of the Film School at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. I taught courses about the intersection of the internet and digital media and mentored students on their thesis projects.

Adjunct Faculty

Capgemini

I helped lead the team that founded Capgemini's digital practice back in the "dot com" days and has the opportunity to work with dozens of clients like General Electric, Office Depot, General Motors, Sports Illustrated, GMAC, Merrill Lynch and more on their digital strategies and implementations.

Vice President, Media & Entertainment

Ernst & Young LLP

Had the incredible opportunity to launch Ernst & Young's first internet site, first intranet site, and to introduce many forms of digital media to the global accounting/consulting giant and their clients.

Director of New Media

As the founder of QCard, I'm super passionate about the cutting-edge SaaS platform we’ve created to transform how professionals engage with their clients, prospects, and networks. QCard allows you to share your professional profile in innovative ways, from NFC cards and QR codes to custom Zoom backgrounds and email footers. It’s an all-in-one solution that makes it easier than ever for people to connect with you, learn more about your expertise, and save your contact information—all with a simple scan or click.

In today’s fast-paced, digital-first world, meaningful connections are the key to success. That’s why I created QCard—to help you stand out in your industry and engage with customers in a more personal, interactive way. Whether you’re attending a conference, closing a deal, or connecting with clients remotely, QCard offers the tools to make those interactions seamless and impactful. Plus, our platform integrates with your existing CRM, enabling a holistic approach to professional engagement that drives brand growth and strengthens relationships.

I’ve spent over 20 years helping global brands like Verizon, NBC, Mattel, and Airbus transform their customer journeys and thrive in the digital era. I’m excited that my journey has led to the creation of QCard, a platform that will help professionals like you leverage technology to build better, more meaningful relationships.

We’re currently inviting professionals to apply to join our Pilot Program to be among the first to experience the full potential of QCard. If you’re looking to elevate your client engagement and grow your professional network, I’d love to connect and explore how QCard can help you achieve your goals.

Thank you for reading about my journey, and I look forward to connecting with you soon.

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The Battle

Jason Fried

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The Battle

Jason Fried

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Jason Fried's LinkedIn Performance

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