Good to listen. Hard to implement.

The ideas in this book are good. The 'how' was missing. Below expectations. There's a lot of talk about what should be and negligible discussion about how it's achieved. Can't deduce much insight from how to implement this.

8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Good story with a little bit of patronizing.

Don't get me wrong, the content and reflections are good in essence, and makes sense to apply them in our current industry, but I felt the tone a bit patronizing and condescending. I would love to hear about how to implement this ideas rather than hear how amazing it went for Basecamp Inc.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Worst. Business Book. Ever.

This has got to be the dumbest business book on the marketing today. I could barely get half-way through it before I couldn't take it anymore and deleted it. 99.99% of companies would fail miserably if they followed most of the advice in it. Maybe a handful of single-product specialty software companies and a neighborhood pizzeria would be successful with it. (and that pizza better be really good.) The advice here is often presented as an absolute -- all meetings are bad ... never interrupt your co-workers ... never set goals. really? If there is one true absolute in business it's that there's no single approach that works for most companies ... you have to adapt to situations, competition, the marketplace. Most of what they suggest boils down to "be a nice, respectful co-worker." Okay ... yeah, but that's it? What happens when you have real shareholders ... varied customers, meaningful competitors? These authors have no doubt created a great product, but it would have been far better to write a narrative on how they did that and why these business practices were effective for them ... and perhaps some suggestions on ways to implement the ones that make the most sense for your organization. Instead they come off as arrogant, sheltered and utterly tone-deaf to what most businesses deal with. I wish I could get my money back on this one.

23 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A More Sensible Way...

This simply reinforces why I want to work for and with Jason, David, and the Basecamp contingent, as they understand people and product come before profit, not in spite of or in light of. If you pour your curious heart into working effectively towards the best product, you will inevitably create all the desires and efficiencies in the workspace.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Too biased and only speak from experience not from statistical analysis on performance

I liked reading "remote" which was also written from experience, and I enjoyed it, but this book just felt too opinionated and seemingly written from a perspective of arrogance that all their decisions were right.

Honestly I get that it's what they know, but at some point it would be nice to have some statistics or more information behind why they made these decisions and not just "that" they made them and they were good.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Amazing book that everyone in the software industry should read, period.

If you’re in a software industry (and a bunch of other industries to be honest), this book is a must read whether you’re running a company, leading a team or just working.
There’s just so much good stuff in this book!
Just go read it. Read it now. Stop reading this review and read the book.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Exceptional Heterdox Take

There is an endless supply of business books. The default perspective is that work should be set by arbitrary priorities created in the spur of the moment or whatever the current fashion is. Growth, scale, bureaucracy, and long hours are king. Basecamp provides an alternative: work small and smart.

Part ideas, Part Basecamp pitch

It's hard not to tie your own company to your success and stories. But there's definitely a fine line. The authors definitely lean heavy on a bunch of successes of Basecamp, while also gently shrugging at their failures.

I feel like digging deeper into those failures would bring more insight.

The authors also aren't sure who this book is for. Sometimes, they talk to you as a individual at your own freelance firm. Other times, they assume you're a CEO of a small company.

In spite of that, it's still rich of ideas to mine for. This is definitely a book to read for a piece of the puzzle.

Innovative Work Principles

Eye opening book with short chapters, each about a unique business principle or practice the CEO of Basecamp implements at work. Totally changes the way I think about “hustling” and working hard for a company. Life is short, find true work life balance, don’t let a job control your life and well being. Wish more companies used his ideas! Highly recommend!

My Dream Employer

Such a great book! Helped me realize so many things I always wanted at work are realistic and not off the wall. Searching for my next employer based on many of the things I heard in the book!