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37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

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Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#31

Post by campnic »

sabat wrote: post #3
paulhauggis wrote: post #2

The long hours mostly has to do with the startup community. They get funding and VC wants to make a profit within a year and get out, at the expense of any long-term goals of the company. The result is 70 or 80 hour work weeks and burnout. The VC don't care because they will be done in the short-term anyway. It's the reason why I refuse to work for startups.

This company is not a startup; it's merely a successful small business. the startup community ... get funding and VC wants to make a profit within a year and get out, at the expense of any long-term goals This is not unheard of, but certainly not the norm. Successful VC firms invest of big growth, but over a longer term. Look at the huge VC-backed successes in SV (obvious examples like Google, LinkedIn) and you'll se…

Wow, could we put the mythical "startup" on any more of a pedestal? '... merely a successful small business' as a diminutive to 37Signals? We've really jumped the shark here, haven't we?

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#32

Post by joshu »

paulhauggis wrote: post #2

The long hours mostly has to do with the startup community. They get funding and VC wants to make a profit within a year and get out, at the expense of any long-term goals of the company. The result is 70 or 80 hour work weeks and burnout. The VC don't care because they will be done in the short-term anyway. It's the reason why I refuse to work for startups.

> VC wants to make a profit within a year

Typical returns take 5-7 years for a VC. You are presenting things you believe as facts. Please don't do that.

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#33

Post by klochner »

Jd wrote: post #8

"To me that’s far more interesting than a tech company that’s hiring a bunch of people, just got their fourth round of financing for 12 million dollars, and they’re still losing money. That’s what everyone talks about as being exciting, but I think that’s an absolutely disgusting scenario when it comes to business." Hilarious given that Jason Fried was on the board of directors of Groupon (his comments on this "disgu…

Jason made it pretty clear that he was joining the Groupon board:

  * as a personal favor to Andrew Mason
  * to get some board experience
He emphasized:

  * he had not changed his stance on bootstrapping companies
  * his board involvement was not an endorsement of groupon
  * he sold his shares when given the chance
So I guess I'm missing the hilarity, other than seeing you try to pick another fight with Jason Fried.

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#34

Post by jasonfried »

Jd wrote: post #17
endtwist wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if it's really that odd. Jason's feelings about the way a company should be run may have been at odds with the way Groupon was run. However, that wasn't what Andrew asked Jason to provide guidance on.

The problem is that Jason uses superlatives and buzz words in this interview and elsewhere. Either they just are marketing fluff for his "sustainable" (i.e. buzz word-laden) business, or he actually believes them. However, if he actually believes them, and if Groupon really is "absolutely disgusting," why would have he not only given advice but retained shares in in the company? Personally, I don't even give free adv…

"why would have he not only given advice but invested in the company"

First, let's get your facts straight: I have not invested a penny in Groupon. I haven't put any personal money into any private company other than my own. I was awarded options as compensation for participating on the board, just as other board members were.

Why did I give them advice? Because they asked me for it and I thought I could help. A lot of people ask me for advice, and i'm happy to help where I can. I don't have to agree with someone on everything to give them advice. I like Andrew, he asked me to help him, I wanted to help him, I'd never served on a board before, so it sounded like a great learning experience. It was - I don't regret the experience at all.

Andrew knew where I stood - and where I stand - on VC, investments, growing quickly, hiring a bunch of people, etc. He was interested in my perspective on product, design, and user experience, not on financing, growth, etc.

I was asked to leave the board in 2010.

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#36

Post by nanijoe »

ceejayoz wrote: post #10
timjahn wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"merely a successful small business." Really? That small business is financially more successful than most crazy ass VC backed startups with the latest photo sharing solution will ever be.

In fairness, that still doesn't make it a startup.

Pray tell, what would make it a startup?

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#37

Post by run4yourlives »

Jd wrote: post #8

"To me that’s far more interesting than a tech company that’s hiring a bunch of people, just got their fourth round of financing for 12 million dollars, and they’re still losing money. That’s what everyone talks about as being exciting, but I think that’s an absolutely disgusting scenario when it comes to business." Hilarious given that Jason Fried was on the board of directors of Groupon (his comments on this "disgu…

If anything, that comment just confirms his consistency.

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#38

Post by Jd »

tptacek wrote: post #24
Jd wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that Jason uses superlatives and buzz words in this interview and elsewhere. Either they just are marketing fluff for his "sustainable" (i.e. buzz word-laden) business, or he actually believes them. However, if he actually believes them, and if Groupon really is "absolutely disgusting," why would have he not only given advice but retained shares in in the company? Personally, I don't even give free adv…

I am having a hard time following this comment. Are you suggesting that Jason Fried doesn't run 37signals in the manner he's talking about here? If so, then on information & belief, you're wrong. If you're just saying that you think owning equity in a company not run the way he runs his own company undercuts everything he writes... ok, but what a boring objection to raise.

Simple version: If he thinks and thought the Groupon scenario is "absolutely disgusting" why did he advise, take a board position, and retain shares in an "absolutely disgusting" venture?

Options presented by me:

A) "absolutely disgusting" is an exaggeration

B) JF is a hypocrite

C) JF has changed his mind over time

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#39

Post by [deleted] »

Jd wrote: post #8

"To me that’s far more interesting than a tech company that’s hiring a bunch of people, just got their fourth round of financing for 12 million dollars, and they’re still losing money. That’s what everyone talks about as being exciting, but I think that’s an absolutely disgusting scenario when it comes to business." Hilarious given that Jason Fried was on the board of directors of Groupon (his comments on this "disgu…

[deleted]

Re: 37signals Earns Millions Each Year. Its CEO’s Model? His Cleaning Lady

#40

Post by justjimmy »

klochner wrote: post #33
Jd wrote: post #8

"To me that’s far more interesting than a tech company that’s hiring a bunch of people, just got their fourth round of financing for 12 million dollars, and they’re still losing money. That’s what everyone talks about as being exciting, but I think that’s an absolutely disgusting scenario when it comes to business." Hilarious given that Jason Fried was on the board of directors of Groupon (his comments on this "disgu…

Jason made it pretty clear that he was joining the Groupon board: * as a personal favor to Andrew Mason * to get some board experience He emphasized: * he had not changed his stance on bootstrapping companies * his board involvement was not an endorsement of groupon * he sold his shares when given the chance So I guess I'm missing the hilarity, other than seeing you try to pick another fight with Jason Fried.

Thanks for bullet pointing, was going to do the same thing.

I wish people would at least read the link they paste, if they intend to use it for their arguments. The link answered/refuted his own 'claims'.

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