Book · ~232 pages

It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work

Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson · 37signals Paid Intermediate

The definitive manifesto for building a 'calm company', remote-friendly, sustainable, and free of chronic overwork, from a team that's lived it for two decades. Essential for founders designing culture and operations.

  • Sustained output comes from calm and focus, not permanent crunch
  • Default to async, protect deep work, and kill the always-on expectation
  • Reasonable hours and a livable pace are a competitive advantage, not a weakness
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It answers 9 questions

  1. How do I build company culture intentionally from day one?
  2. Should my startup be remote, hybrid, or in-office?
  3. How do I run a remote team without endless meetings and burnout?
  4. What operating cadence and rituals should an early team have?
  5. How do I avoid burning out my small team while still moving fast?
  6. How do we preserve culture and values as we grow past the first team?
  7. What is a sane way to prioritise between fixing bugs, paying customer promises, and building the exciting new thing?
  8. How do I keep an offshore or remote dev team accountable across time zones?
  9. How do I keep shipping weekly when I am building solo and constantly interrupted by support, sales, and admin?

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