Jason Fried

Started & runs 37signals (makers of Basecamp, HEY, and ONCE). Non-serial entrepreneur, serial author. DM or email me at [email protected].

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

What do they got?

A big team, lots of money, a strong brand, seemingly unlimited resources, panache, reputation, all that. They’re established.

They’re your competitors.

You want to look away, but you see them everywhere. Their ads on your social, their name in the media, your dream clients on their website.

But you know what else they got?

Bigger company bloat. Overflowing obligations. Narratives to uphold. Appearances to maintain. Entitlement. Too much overhead.

They’re slow. They’re conservative. They talk too much. They’ve stopped taking risks. They’re resting on their laurels, gliding on their reputation. They’re on defense.

What they’ve really got is a lot to lose.

What do you got?

Hunger. Drive. Grit. Scrappiness. Independence. You’re on offense.

You don’t have enough, which is why you’re dangerous. You have no choice but to be clever and creative. To make up for what you don’t have with something they can’t have: The underdog spirit.

You can move. You can adjust. You can adapt. You can get it done while they’re still stuck deciding what to do.

Small is not a stepping stone. Small is not less than. It’s greater than. It’s faster than. It’s better than.

Savor your position. You don’t get to be the underdog forever. The baton will be passed. But for now, it’s your magic wand. Use it.

We stand with the underdogs.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@levelsio Always been.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@JishuLogs Same for everything. Look close, not far.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

There's also no reason to emulate massive organizations when you're small. The scale is off, the lessons are wrong, the insights don't fit. If you're interested in following a groove, find a fresh one that's closer to your size, not a huge one in dried mud.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@3jnsn It's a personal site. It's not for anyone else.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

Absolutely love this.

[Chelsi @cmchelsimehta]

openai's head of design's website omg https://t.co/buazPLSMRa 😭

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@dharmesh @a16z Point 2 is a great point.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@stevederico Basecamp! But yeah, if all you need is a list, pen/paper/text will do.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@billwolfe Take it!

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

If you must ask, don't ask for advice. Ask for a suggestion. The same thing may come out of someone's mouth, but it'll go into your mind differently. Or, don't ask what you should do, ask what they would do. Protect your agency, even if you don't have a clue.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

The closer you are to now, the closer you'll be to next.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@BrianEasonLead Absolutely true.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

You can admire people who are miles ahead, but the best people to get advice from are just a few steps ahead. They're much closer to your reality, your situation, and your condition. They may have done less, but there's a good chance the know a lot more.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@cgrusden Yup, experiment is a strong word to use as well.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@joshpuckett What a roster! @bscholl from Boom, too.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

Asymmetry is where it's at.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@peterramsing Good reflection.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

If you ever want to be less sure, ask another person's opinion.

[Hector @hectorserrranoo]

stop asking for advice no one knows what you want better than you

ask 3 people and you'll get 3 different answers, each shaped by their life and not yours

most of the time you're just looking for someone to confirm what you already think, good or bad

just look internally

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@jetpackjoe_ You should resub because HEY is incredible right now. Everything else that's coming is a cherry on top.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

It'll be an even bigger steal shortly.

[Bennett Bernard @TheRealTechCPA]

Hey email at $99/yr is such a steal imo. No brainer

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@serxzsz Same as any user. You decide which projects they have access to. Dead simple.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

Get your Basecamp hooked up with ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Grok Bot, Muse, or just about any other intelligence.

Here's how:
https://t.co/4Yusl1UY2V

Our hosted MCP server works with any app that supports MCP connectors. Point it at https://t.co/JnmJqzTigr and just sign in.

Prefer a CLI? We've got you covered there too. You (and your agents) will have full access to Basecamp from the terminal. The CLI works with any AI agent that can run shell commands.

Quickstart for the CLI:
curl -fsSL https://t.co/UfSWgMbm7v | bash

Full setup instructions here:
https://t.co/OgI8PwVunA

And soon you'll be able to bring your own hosted agents into Basecamp. We're running dozens in our own account right now. We're honing the experience now. Stay tuned.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@jeiting How about best vs biggest? And not their best, but your best.

[Jason Fried @jasonfried]

@levelsio Async has always been the way. It's Basecamp's secret sauce.