I just jammed through Rework
, the latest startup manifesto from 37Signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson. It’s a very fast read – a few dozen “chapters”, most just a page or two long – and anyone already familiar with lean startups, GTD and Seth Godin’s writing on authentic marketing won’t find much new in it, but it’s still a compact and worthwhile reminder of the way great companies are being built today.
It may be that I’m underselling the book because it’s so close to the values I’m trying to live as an investor and entrepreneur at Founder’s Co-op. Andy and I started our own fund so that we could do what we love everyday:
- work closely with people we like and respect…
- to build real, cash-flowing businesses…
- that take away customer pain with software…
- and get paid for doing it.
The founders we work with aren’t in it for the money – there are a million easier ways to make a buck, especially if you can code. They just love to build stuff that works, and – usually after a tour of duty at a bigger company – they’ve realized that starting their own shop is the only way they get to build exactly what they want to.
These companies don’t need a ton of money to get started. They probably won’t make headlines or get snapped up by Google. But they will find a way to make money, they’ll build stuff they’re proud of, and they’ll approach their work with a lightness and sense of purpose that makes them a pleasure to be around.
If that doesn’t sound like your life now but you wish it did, Rework is a great place to start your journey.
