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
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HEY World | HEY
The REWORK podcast
The Rework Podcast on YouTube
The 37signals Dev Blog
37signals on YouTube
@37signals on X