Jason Fried at SXSW 2008

Jason is founder of 37signals. He spoke at SXSW about what he has learned in the last two years. His presentation was insightful and he touched on several points that I strongly agree on.

I’ve outlined Jason’s presentation below. Think of them as Jason Fried quotes. Read these quotes and then close your eyes for 10 seconds while taking three large breaths.

• You should build stuff and see what happens.
• Change if you need to change.
• Optimize for now.
• Words that cause things to go wrong: Need, Can’t, Easy, Only, and Fast.
• Target non-consumers.
• Minimize the chances for competition from entrenched competitors.
• Question your work regularly.
• • Why are we doing this?
  • What problem are we solving?
  • Is this actually useful?
  • Are we adding value?
  • Will this change behavior?
  • Is there an easier way?
• Read you product.
• • To much attention on the pixels rather than the words.
• Rewrite first, redesign second.
• Err on the side of simple.
• Start with the easy way.
• Get three things done in one week instead of one thing done in three weeks.
• Resists the urge to try to do more the next time around.
• Invest in what doesn’t change.
• Follow the chefs.
• Build by sharing.
• What’s your cookbook?
• Tell everyone what you know and it will payoff.
• Interruption is the enemy of productivity.
• Passive communication reduces interruption.
• Road maps send you in the wrong direction. They lock you into the past.
• Be open, honest, public, and responsive.
• Make tiny decisions.
• Celebrate tiny launches.
• Moral feeds off of progress.
• Make it matter.
• Everything you do should matter.

Jason’s Book Recommendations

• The Innovator’s Dilemma
• The Innovator’s Solution
• The Seven-Day Weekend
• Maverick