Hansson had been a fan of 37Signals for years and jumped at the chance to help out. The transition to web development happened in the early 2000s, when young Danish developer Hansson responded to Fried’s blog query about PHP. It’s since transitioned to a web development company, specializing in project management and team communication software, and became Basecamp in 2014. The origins of Basecamp date back to 1999, when Fried started 37Signals as a web design company. The duo also have a new book out explaining their unique take on startups and how they’ve found success. Today, Basecamp is one of the leading project management and team communications tools on the market, while boasting remarkable employee satisfaction. They’ve followed the startup road less traveled and have pitched sturdy camp at the end of it-all while remaining profitable and highly respected.
Fried and Hansson don’t care much either way. Instead of scrambling to hire more people when revenue is climbing, they enact a hiring freeze so as to not lose sight of their mission.Ĭritics might call their approach too timid.
#BASECAMP 3 SUCKS SOFTWARE#
Instead of always expanding their line of software products, they double down to perfect the one they already have. Instead of chasing arbitrary growth goals and deadlines, they simply aspire to do their very best work day in and day out. While they rejoice in revenue and profit as much as the next set of tech company founders, they define success a little differently. Right?īasecamp founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson beg to differ. Sales boosts, climbing revenue, and eager investors are all signs of a happy, healthy company.
Subscribe to The Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher and Spotify Jason Fried, Co-Founder and CEO, BasecampĬlick here to Skip to the Podcast Transcriptionĭitching Growth and Setting Up Camp How Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson turned their backs on lofty goals and created a profitable tech company quite unlike any other.