David Heinemeier Hansson is the Founder and CTO of Basecamp, best-selling author of Rework and Remote, and creator of the popular web application framework Ruby on Rails.
David is rethinking what it means to build a company in the digital age. He and his co-founder rejected the typical startup narrative in favor of a more traditional approach to building a global business. For this reason, Basecamp has the size of a typical startup, the reach of a global firm and the profitability of a mature company. Much of that success stems from a philosophy that puts customers and employees first, focuses on the long term, and prioritizes remote work.
You will also learn:
- how he met his co-founder Jason Fried
- how a series of blog posts turned into a best-selling book
- how we may be underestimating the potential of remote workers
- why most business books probably do not apply to your organization
- how meetings deter employees from getting work done
- the lessons of the dot-com crash for building a sustainable company
- why he advises startup founders to avoid venture funding and working in Silicon Valley
- how important it is to work for all kinds of bosses, especially bad ones
- why the best work environment might be one where you are slightly out of your depth
- how the ancient philosophy of stoicism can inform decisions in the modern world
David also talks about the importance of living a good life today rather than some time in the future.
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