How to build product people love with Jason Fried of 37signals.
Editing is highly underrated to many, but everything we consume has been done so. (movies, books, recipes, etc.)
- Source mixergy.com
37signals is down to three products.
What was once a lineup that included: Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack, and Campfire is now without Backpack. The metaphor centered around the sections of camping and the bigger world is now more confined. Confined being that Basecamp is becoming THE product and Highrise being the other product.
Jason Fried of 37signals announced the all new Basecamp back in March of this year:
In many ways, this is our second chance to make a first impression. For many of our customers, Basecamp was the first time they’d ever used a project management and collaboration tool. Most used email. Or the phone. Or lots of in-person meetings. Basecamp was a whole new idea, something brand new, an opportunity to get organized and keep everything together.
This new Basecamp is a return to our roots. It’s focused on the basics. It’s even simpler and clearer than before. It’s super fast. And it’s useful for a whole new group of projects – short projects. Most project are small and short. The original Basecamp was overkill for most kinds of projects. The new Basecamp is perfect for projects of every size.
Prior to the new Basecamp the product wasn’t great. Great in the sense that satisfaction wasn’t entirely met, which is probably why the three other products existed. 37signals’ work is eerily similar to that of Apple. Apple builds out a line of products for reach, testing, and then subtracts into a concise selection with many times that selection being only one.
37signals must’ve reached a point where Backpack acted like a feature rather than a stand-alone product. Overtime I foresee Campfire and Highrise being seen as features that aren’t needed to be stand-alone products. What was once a suite will be a product possibly still called Basecamp.
When those days come their words:
Making collaboration productive and enjoyable for people every day.
Will be edited and rethought of to reflect what’s current and next for 37signals. This might be just a little move with Backpack disappearing. This could also be a big step in the company’s progress and development. We’re all watching.
By Derek Jensen
- Source 37signals.com
The Happy Cog team utilizes 37signals’ Basecamp product. And this is just one reason why. Once Resimplify gets bigger that $20 a month will be well worth it.
