They just needed a decent way to manage projects and collaborations.
It just happens that other people want to use it too.
Jason Fried, CEO, keeps things pretty simple as he runs the company.
No real to-do lists, no multiple monitors, no alarm clock.
Just a clear focus during the day so that the work doesnt encroach upon the boundaries of daily life.
Heres how he works.
I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and was a pretty crappy student.
He called me over to check it out.
First thing I ever saw on it was this flight simulator and it completely blew me away.
The graphics were so sharp.
Black and white, but sharp sharp sharp.
I was floored.I went home and asked my parents for a computer.
They asked me to put together a pitch… Why did I want a computer?
So we bought one.
I was loaning them out to friends, but I never got them back.
Worse, I forgot to whom I loaned them out, so it was really my fault.
Around this time we got an AOL account.
And I started looking around for software to organize my music collection.
I didnt find anything I liked that appealed to me.
So I set out to figure out how to make my own.I found FileMaker Pro and learned that.
Then I made a music-organizing database for myself.
So this is where I got my start designing graphical UIs.
So I made my own music collection database thing.
I ended up calling it Audiofile and uploading it to AOL.
It was an airmail envelopeone with the blue and red checks around the edges.
I didnt know anyone in Germany, so I opened it up with great anticipation.
Inside was a print out of the order form I included with Audiofile and a crispy $20 bill.
SOMEONE BOUGHT THIS THING I MADE FOR MYSELF!And that was how my software business started.
The last 20 years have been based on that experience.
And today,Basecampis the same thingits a product we make for ourselves that we sell to other people.
Luckily, there are a lot of people out there with the same kinds of problems we have.
What apps, software, or tools cant you live without?
Heres a boring, but meaningful one for me… Ive really come to enjoy Instagram.
I use it differently than most though.
For me its an educational platform.
Im really into collecting vintage watches, and theres a vibrant vintage watch community on Instagram.
Ive learned a ton from seeing so many different watches in such a short period of time.
I cant imagine how Id have ever learned so much so quickly any other way.
Ive also met some really wonderful people this way.
Whats your workspace setup like?
I work half from home and half from our office.
At work we have standing desks.
Years ago I used multiple monitors and had multiple computers.
Then I jettisoned multiple computers but kept the multiple monitor setup.
I go full screen on nearly every app.
I also hide my dock.
I dont want anything pulling my attention away.
When Im curious Ill look.
Its among the most valuable things you have.
Whats your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
Techniques and hacks are all about managing what happens when you say yes to too many things.
All the techniques and hacks in the world never add up to the power of no.
Having fewer things to do is the best way to get things done.
Im very careful with my time and attentionits my most precious resource.
If you dont have that, you cant do what you want to do.
And if you cant do what you want to do, whats the point?
Whats your favorite to-do list manager?
I dont track to-dos.
I have a small handful of things I know I need to do every day.
If I cant keep them in my head, I have too many things to do.
Every day is a blank slate for what I need to do.
Todays mind is a clear mind, not yesterdays remnants.
Besides your phone and computer, what gadget cant you live without and why?
Im a vintage watch nerd, so I feel naked without an old watch on my wrist.
Right now Im wearing an oldLongines dive watchfrom the 60s.
Its nearly 60 years old, and it still works.
And should for the next 60 years.
What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?
Id like to think its making a great cup of Japanese green tea.
Ill make you one.
What do you listen to while you work?
Got a favorite playlist?
Or do you prefer silence?
Cant be people talking, because then I listen to the conversation.
Music, white noise, a loud air conditioner, something.
Lately Ive just been playing random playlists on Spotify to broaden my horizons a bit.
If left to my own devices, Id play bebop-era jazz just about all the time.
What are you currently reading?
A novel, comic book, website, magazine?
Or whats something youd recommend?
My favorite site to read these days isHODINKEE.com, a site about watches.
Im into the subject matter, but the writing is really top notch.
Jack Forster, the editor-in-chief over there, is one of the best writers anywhere.
Deep knowledge made accessible.
Poetic, fun, a real gymnast with words.
Theres great rhythm in his writing.
The guy respects writing and it comes through in everything he does.
Highly recommended, even if you arent into watches.
How do you recharge?
What do you do when you want to forget about work?
Its easy for me to forget about work.
I work about 40 hours a week, and I strongly encourage everyone at Basecamp to do the same.
When Im done, Im done.
Some ideas lingerstuff Im chewing on, ideas Im rolling aroundbut those happen in the background.
They arent active work.
I have dinner with my wife, not my work.
I go to sleep with my wife, not my work.
First thing in the morning, I get my kid, not my work.
When its time to work, I focus.
But when its over, its gotta go.
Whats your sleep routine like?
Are you a night owl or early-riser?
~8 hours a night.
Neglecting sleep is a terrible mistake.
I go to sleep around 10ish, and get up around 6isheither to the sun or to my son.
As far as an actual alarm clockI havent used one in 10 years.
Forcing yourself awake at an arbitrary time is a good way to have a shitty morning.
Its always early enough anyway.
Fill in the blank: Id love to see _________ answer these same questions.
A 10-year-old (with the word work removed from some of the questions).
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
Such a simple rule.
If you want something, ask for it.
If you want someone to buy something youre selling, ask them to buy it.
If you want someones help in spreading the word, ask them to spread the word.
Thats core to how we run our business.
Basecamp has been in business for 17 years, and profitable all 17.
Is there anything else youd like to add that might be interesting to readers and fans?
How about this… What do readers want to know?
Lets compile 100 questions and Ill answer all 100 in a single shot for a future article.
Have someone you want to see featured, or questions you think we should ask?
