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Getting Real (37signals)

2 resources from Getting Real (37signals) we point founders to, and the questions each answers.

✍️ Essay
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it The healthy counterweight to over documenting. 37signals argues that a thick spec creates false agreement (everyone reads the same words differently) and locks you in before you have learned anything. Their fix maps onto our answer perfectly: write a short one page story in plain language, then move to rough sketches and real screens. It frees you from thinking a good spec has to be long.

There's Nothing Functional about a Functional Spec

From Getting Real (37signals) by 37signals 6 min read

  • A one page plain language story beats a thirty page document
  • Long specs create the illusion of agreement, not the real thing
  • Move from the story straight to sketches, do not polish the doc
Open basecamp.com →
Answers How do I write a spec for a developer when I'm not technical?
✍️ Essay
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it This backs up the sketch the flows part of our answer. Design the screens before anyone writes code, because a paper sketch is cheap to change and code is the most expensive thing to change. For a non technical founder that is empowering: the interface is the part you can actually own and communicate, and it gives the developer a concrete target instead of abstract requirements.

Interface First

From Getting Real (37signals) by 37signals 5 min read

  • Sketch the screens before code, changes on paper are nearly free
  • The interface is the product the user actually experiences
  • A designed screen gives a developer a real target to build toward
Open basecamp.com →
Answers How do I write a spec for a developer when I'm not technical? How much should I invest in design polish for an MVP versus just shipping something functional?
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