You know you've created a following of customers that love you when you upload a PDF file full of content that was published years ago to the Internet and it hits the top of Hacker News.
Getting Real book is now free PDF
31–40 of 91 posts
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#32The 'enter your e-mail address to get X' approach is spreading! Unsurprising.. because it works like gangbusters :-) In this case, you get an e-mail that says: "Periodically we'll drop you a line if we have something interesting to share." (There's also an unsubscribe link.) They'll get to build up an incredible list with this. I'm happy to see 37signals using this approach as it helps legitimize the technique of bui…
What they're doing is actually a violation of their email marketing software provider's Terms of Service (specifically, the Anti-Spam Policy - http://www.campaignmonitor.com/anti-spam/).
That policy clearly states that "This checkbox must not be checked by default, the person completing the form must willingly select the checkbox to indicate they want to hear from you."
Having no checkbox AND no indication you're joining any sort of list breaks the rules set by their provider.
(I'm making the assumption they continue to use CampaignMonitor).
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#33This book has always been free right? It started life as a free HTML version and they only added the pay-for-PDF later when it became successful. http://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php Kudos for making the whole thing free. But it wasn't that big a leap.
No. Originally it was solely a $19 PDF. They sold 23,000 copies (so $437k+ worth) before rolling out the free Web version in late 2006: http://37signals.com/svn/posts/85-getting-real-the-book-now-...
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#34The 'enter your e-mail address to get X' approach is spreading! Unsurprising.. because it works like gangbusters :-) In this case, you get an e-mail that says: "Periodically we'll drop you a line if we have something interesting to share." (There's also an unsubscribe link.) They'll get to build up an incredible list with this. I'm happy to see 37signals using this approach as it helps legitimize the technique of bui…
What they're doing is actually a violation of their email marketing software provider's Terms of Service (specifically, the Anti-Spam Policy - http://www.campaignmonitor.com/anti-spam/ ). That policy clearly states that "This checkbox must not be checked by default, the person completing the form must willingly select the checkbox to indicate they want to hear from you." Having no checkbox AND no indication you're jo…
You make a good point, but in this case I think it's implicit in their form that you're joining a list of some kind. Otherwise, they would just have a download link.
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
What they're doing is actually a violation of their email marketing software provider's Terms of Service (specifically, the Anti-Spam Policy - http://www.campaignmonitor.com/anti-spam/ ). That policy clearly states that "This checkbox must not be checked by default, the person completing the form must willingly select the checkbox to indicate they want to hear from you." Having no checkbox AND no indication you're jo…
You make a good point, but in this case I think it's implicit in their form that you're joining a list of some kind. Otherwise, they would just have a download link.
I assumed they didn't want people linking the download directly, so they were sending out personalized links. Apparently I assumed wrong!
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
What they're doing is actually a violation of their email marketing software provider's Terms of Service (specifically, the Anti-Spam Policy - http://www.campaignmonitor.com/anti-spam/ ). That policy clearly states that "This checkbox must not be checked by default, the person completing the form must willingly select the checkbox to indicate they want to hear from you." Having no checkbox AND no indication you're jo…
You make a good point, but in this case I think it's implicit in their form that you're joining a list of some kind. Otherwise, they would just have a download link.
I think it's on a par with getting an update every now and then from a store you've bought something from. The 'subscription' is rarely disclosed in this case, but there's understood to be a 'relationship'.
I had a look through MailChimp's TOS and it could be interpreted a few ways but this sort of 'existing relationship' thing is covered, although it pertains to a purchase rather than a freebie.
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#37I don't know about others, but personally it sucks when some product for which I paid, is now available for less or even free. Specially in case of electronics, you buy something when its new. The next month you meet some friend with the same piece, which he got for fraction of price. And more disturbing is that at that point of time, your piece is older and his is new. Here I am not talking about this case in partic…
37signals ISSUED the free version after 6 years the book was published so that it will not disturb much.
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hmm, a PDF isn't much better than HTML, they should provide some ebook format—how should one read this thing conveniently on his smartphone?
Surely your "smartphone" can read a PDF?
Personally I find that epub rearranges itself better for font size / screen size that a smart phone offers. PDFs are usually painful to read because you have to scroll the page sideways to get the font size I like.
But from memory the book is not image heavy, so converting to a text doc (or epub format) should be a very easy cut 'n paste, so the parent comment is a little bit on the ungrateful side.
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#39First read this book about 3 years ago and immediately started telling people about it. Really spoke to me.
With this free release I have started emailing people about it all over again.
Re: Getting Real book is now free PDF
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
"From 37signals' point of view it's the only way how entrepreneurship should be approached while heavily despising other ways" Nope. It's not the only way. It's one way. There are lots of ways to build a product and run a business. Getting Real is what we've learned. Same with REWORK - it's our experience and advice in book form. Neither book pretends to be the only way. If you have your own unique approach, and you…
> Nope. It's not the only way. It's one way. I don't know if DHH agrees on that—maybe you should check his latest post. > If you have your own unique approach, and you think your experience can be valuable to those who haven't had your experience, take the time to write it up and share it with the world. Good idea, thanks, but I won't write a book. Reading HN for some months gives starters the same full experience bu…
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