Say No by Default

In their book REWORK, 37signals’ co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson write about the power of saying no. This week on the podcast, they revisit that idea, diving into the hidden costs of saying yes and the burden of commitments that often come with it. They also discuss how saying no preserves simplicity and helps maintain focus.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:45 – Saying yes often comes with regret
• 03:00 – Yes feels good until it’s time to fulfill the commitment
• 07:58 – Adding features to products often results in layered complications
• 14:53 – Saying no is more difficult when you have the capacity to say yes
• 19:51 – The courage to say no creates space for simplicity
• 29:30 – The best way to say to no to customer requests

Links and Resources:

Books by 37signals

Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com

HEY World | HEY

The REWORK podcast

The Rework Podcast on YouTube

The 37signals Dev Blog

37signals on YouTube

@37signals on X