Sometimes less is more. That’s exactly the case when the
owners of a Chicago software company Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
teamed up to share their ideas on running a business in Rework. Fried and
Hansson own 37Signals, a software company that has been profiled in Time,
Newsweek and Wired.
The book is filled with short insights into the business
world, geared toward helping small business owner find the right balance in
their operations. They offer solid advice for anyone looking to run their own
operation in today’s world. Most of their insights are extremely helpful.
Consider the idea of working smarter, and not harder. Some
workers who work harder create their own problems in order to solve them, and
it’s not always practical. Your company isn’t always benefited by a
hard-worker. This is what the authors of Rework had to say in their chapter
titled Workaholism:
“Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they
just use it up. The real hero is at home because she figured out a faster way
to get things done.”
The authors talk about teaching as an alternative to
advertising. Big spending companies can afford to advertise. There are plenty
of savvy businesses out there out teaching their competition however, and doing
just fine. It’s another way to forge a relationship with potential customers.
“Earning their loyalty by teaching forms a whole different
connection. They’ll trust you more. They’ll respect you more. Even if they
don’t use your product, they can still be your fans.”
In business, sometimes the simplest ideas win. Sometimes
it’s the clearest, easiest path to the objective that people need to
concentrate on. Many of the ideas in this book are so simplistic and basic,
that as a business owner you have probably overlooked them at some point. Or in
some cases (such as Workaholism) society wants you to shift your focus.
Rework helps you keep your eye on the prize. It is a
powerful tool in helping your business stay efficient in a lean economy.
I love the way this book was written in an "edgy" tone.
ReplyDeleteI like to read business books that give you inspiration to create, and Rework is one of those.
Definitely. It's written and designed that way, too. It's definitely a new perspective.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the best books I've read. The more start-ups I speak to, the more I realise how some lessons I learned from Rework really hit the nail on the head.
ReplyDelete