Podcast · 25 min

Scratch Your Own Itch

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson · REWORK by 37signals Free Beginner

The founders of 37signals (Basecamp) explain how they built tools for their own problems without focus groups or market studies, because they had the itch so they scratched it. It is the clearest real story of a personal problem turning into a durable business. Listen when you need conviction that your own annoyance is a legitimate starting point.

  • Building for your own pain gives you a built in first customer: you.
  • You do not need permission from a big market to start.
  • Deep familiarity with the problem shows up as better product decisions.
Open on 37signals.com ↗

The question it answers

  1. Should I solve a problem I personally have, or chase a bigger market?

Read with it

  1. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  2. The definitive essay on where good ideas come from: notice problems you personally have, don't force it. Use it as the lens for... paulgraham.com Essay · ~20 min read How to Get Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  3. The essay that put 'product-market fit' into the startup vocabulary. Read it for the gut-level description of what PMF feels... pmarchive.com Essay · ~15 min read The Only Thing That Matters Marc Andreessen
  4. The permission slip to recruit users by hand, do things manually, and deliver 'insanely great' experiences to your first few... paulgraham.com Essay · ~15 min read Do Things That Don't Scale Paul Graham
  5. Twenty founders describe the pivotal moments on their path to fit, and a recurring theme is why the right founder for the right... First Round Review Article · ~25 min read The Only Way to Win: Advice for Founders From Founders First Round Review
  6. Long-form, candid interviews with Indian founders and investors on how they actually grew, distributed and built brand, one of... The Neon Show / Neon Fund Podcast · 200+ episodes The Neon Show (100x Entrepreneur Podcast) Siddhartha Ahluwalia
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →