I'm really getting sick of not only the hype surrounding 37 Signals but the "religion" that they shove down our throats and the media just gobbles up.
Some people need to work more than 4 days per week, actually need to hire more people and actually need to add features to their software (and can't say "no" to everything)
We don't all have cult like religious followers. It's like using Apple as a guide for starting a PC business. Not exactly a formula you can apply to everything.
37s is not to blame. They are shoving anything anywhere (as Jason says on this thread). Nor are they saying that their "system" works for all businesses/problems. They're just delivering a very compelling message to a hungry audience. It's like the 4 Hour Work Week... Or Christianity (all you have to do is ASK for forgiveness... and viola!).
It's a great story, but not a very repeatable one.
1) Step 1 - Build an enormous and rabidly loyal audience with a great blog (SvN) and a great framework (RoR). JoelonSoftware proved that you can do this without the framework. :-)
2) Release products that serves the core of that audience. Watch in amazement as profits pour in. Customer acquisition costs are near zero. No marketing required other than public speaking engagements (which often net a speaking fee) and the occasional blog post.
No doubt that these guys are really talented... But I don't think they owe their success to working less or giving their customers less. They owe it to an evangelical following and (to a much lesser degree) building an app that does a solid job of serving that audience.
I agree that my language was a little extreme as nobody is forcing anything down my throat. I also agree with your statements about their success not being very "repeatable".
I don't look to superstars or billionaires to find the secrets to success, usually their rise to stardom is very atypical and contains a good deal of luck (along with a lot of concrete factors like determination, skills and timing).
I just tend to get annoyed with the self-righteous tone of many of their articles, which is then amplified by the blogosphere (probably more the source of my annoyance than anything 37 posts themselves).
I apologize for the troll like post, now back to the NBA finals (go Celtics!)
This is how they're building their company. You build yours your way. I'm immensely interested in both stories; interested enough not to ask either of you to change your writing styles to avoid offending me.
It is fun to see both camps fight it out and thereby share their combined knowledge and experience with us. Without the battle, I don't think they'll put in so much effort to educate us.
Though you do have a completely valid point, it's also true that a lot of people should take some lessons from their example.
Until people realize that working a lot of overtime tends to generate a lot of technical debt, they'll keep doing it. And even though a 4-day week might be a bit short, you have to admit that it's working.
Working for them, a 4 day work week won't pay my two mortgages and won't put food on the table for my two daughters. Some day I hope to be there too, but it's advice I can't take now.
They have income coming in every month that is residual. As long as they have that income that isn't based upon how much they work then it works well. I believe the point is to get yourself into that position.
Some people need to work more than 4 days per week, actually need to hire more people and actually need to add features to their software (and can't say "no" to everything)
We don't all have cult like religious followers. It's like using Apple as a guide for starting a PC business. Not exactly a formula you can apply to everything.