Ever filled out a customer survey? For this conversation, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founders of 37signals, share their approach to gathering customer feedback. They discuss the timing and frequency of feedback requests, the power of open-ended questions, and how to transform customer language into effective marketing.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:37 - A single open-ended question can reveal a wealth of valuable insights
• 05:51 - Listen for the language customers use in their feedback for possible marketing opportunities
• 08:42 - Form questions and answer fields that allow customers to use their own words to express what they think
• 14:18 - Focus on organic feedback rather than quantitative metrics

Links and Resources:

Customer feedback on basecamp.com

Books by 37signals

Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com

HEY World | HEY

The REWORK podcast

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

The 37signals Dev Blog

37signals on YouTube

@37signals on X

In this week's episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals’ co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share their approach to product design, explaining why the first version of a product (V1) is always built for the company's internal use case. They discuss responding to user feedback and the importance of actively using their own products to uncover issues. They also dive into the challenges they've faced when building software for someone else's needs vs. their own.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:35 - The problem with imagined use cases
• 07:21 - A trimmed down V1 gives you permission to focus on what's most important
• 10:28 - The story of Highrise
• 17:27 - “Dogfooding” to help identify and address product issues
• 20:48 - Avoid the temptation to react too quickly to early customer feedback
• 23:11 - Design breakthroughs come to life by creating innovative solutions

Links and Resources:

Version 1 is for you – Jason Fried's HEY World post

Books by 37signals

Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com\

HEY World | HEY

The REWORK podcast

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

The 37signals Dev Blog

37signals on YouTube

@37signals on X

37signals’ co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share insights from their write-up, The 37signals Guide to Internal Communication. They discuss effective communication strategies within the company and with the public, offering practical advice to consider when conveying messages.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:41 - The backstory of how the guide was created
• 02:39 - The write up serves as both an internal reminder and a practical manual for how communication is handled at 37signals
• 06:36 - Why publishing doesn’t require perfection
• 10:52 - Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings
• 18:26 - How unclear communication can come across negatively
• 23:03 - Why you shouldn't rush tough conversations

Links and Resources:

The 37signals Guide to Internal Communication

Books by 37signals

Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com

HEY World | HEY

The REWORK podcast

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

The 37signals Dev Blog

37signals on YouTube

@37signals on X