Book Review of Rework by 37 Signals Team

Just finished the book Rework by the guys at 37 Signals.

It reaffirms a lot of what we do here at PaperStreet”  (i.e. hire in different time zones, be agile, have 35 hour work weeks, be flexible, get stuff done and minimize meetings).

Some cool tips you can take away from the book:

1. Work time – Have uninterrupted periods where IM, Phone and Email are off.
2. Judo Solutions – Make “good enough” a viable solution. Although you may not show off mad skillz or get accolades, it will get the job done.
3. Meetings – Should have a timer. Should have a specific goal.
4. Pick a fight, but be able to back it up.
5. Be simple rather than complex. If needed, cut clients to keep the product simple.
6. Be a drug dealer – give something away for free.
7. Marketing is for EVERYONE – phone, email, web site, software, errors, invoices, greetings, and anything is marketing.
8. Hire when it hurts. Don’t hire to replace, see how long you can go without that person.
9. Fire delegators. Hire Managers. Managers get stuff done and don’t need hand holding.
10. Test drive employees.
11. Don’t hide bad news. Let clients know immediately.
12. Getting back to people quickly is the most important thing. I REALLY AGREE WITH THIS, in fact we make it mandatory to contact all clients back same day, if not within same hour.
    
13. Allow employee control and not to have to ask permission on small things or even big things.
14. Don’t create a policy on the first issue or problem. Just say politely, don’t do it again.

Cool stuff and really a quick read. I think I pounded through all 250+ pages in less than an hour.