A review byReworkby Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Okay, so I picked up this book after a friend quoted it every time I complained about my job. I thought it was going to be one of those generic “wake up at 5 a.m. and grind” type books. That’s not it. It’s actually quite the opposite.
\ The book is written by the people who developed Basecamp (a project management tool). They’ve basically written down everything they think about work and building a company, and a lot of it goes against pretty much everything you hear in startup culture.
\ They openly say that planning is a waste of time. That long working hours are not a badge of honor. That you probably don’t need investors. I was a little skeptical at first, but in the end I thought: Yes, these guys could be on to something.
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The chapters are super short. Some are literally one page. At first this felt strange, but honestly it’s kind of awesome? You can read this thing in a few sittings and it never drags.
Which I actually liked
There is a chapter called “Meetings are Toxic” that I wanted to print out and stick on my monitor. The authors argue that a one-hour meeting with five people is not just one hour, but five hours. I had never thought about it like that before, and now I remember it every time I get a calendar invite.
\ Another thing they talk about is “fighting yourself” – basically building something that you would use yourself. The reasoning is simple: when you solve your own problem, you already understand it deeply. You don’t have to do a lot of customer research to find out what’s missing. This felt very practical to me, especially as someone who has always had ideas for side projects but never knew where to start.
\ Oh, and there’s a whole section about how “ASAP” culture destroys focus. Any request that is “urgent” means that nothing is really urgent. Once again, painfully true.
Although I wasn’t entirely convinced
Look, I’m not going to pretend this book is perfect. Some of the advice only seems to work if you’re already Basecamp, you know? Okay, cool, you don’t need external funding – but that’s easy to say if your product already has paying customers. For someone just starting out with zero viewers and zero revenue, some of these things are a little…idealistic?
\ There is also a chapter that basically tells you to completely ignore your competitors. And while I understand the point of it – don’t be paranoid, focus on your own thing – in practice? Completely ignoring what’s happening in your market seems like a good way to build something that already exists.
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I also felt like some chapters said the same thing in different ways. For example, there are three or four chapters that are essentially about “doing fewer things.” Which, OK, fair point, but you didn’t have to say it six times.
So should you read it?
If you work in a company that relies on meetings, 60-hour weeks, and “act fast” mantras, this book will seem like a breath of fresh air. I probably read it in one or two sittings. It’s not a long book, nor does it want to be.
\ If you expect a detailed guide with frameworks and templates, you will be disappointed. This is more of a mindset reset than a playbook. Think of it like a friend who has built a successful business coming to you and telling you to relax a little. Some of them you will agree with, some you will reject, but the conversation is worth it.
\ I will definitely recommend it. I’ve already texted my friend who keeps talking about starting a business and told him to read it before writing a 30 page business plan that no one asked for.
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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5).It’s worth your time, but don’t take every word as gospel.
