# Getting Real > A productivity and product development philosophy by 37signals that emphasizes skipping non-essential planning and building the real thing. The framework advocates for less mass, fewer features, and staying small and agile. - **URL:** https://basecamp.com/gettingreal - **Category:** Practices - **Tags:** Agile, Simplicity, Project Management - **Updated:** 2026-03-15 10:26 - **Canonical page:** https://timetrack.works/hi/items/getting-real ## Details ## Overview Getting Real is a business and software development philosophy by 37signals (the company behind Basecamp and HEY). The book details the business, design, programming, and marketing principles of 37signals, packed with keep-it-simple insights, contrarian points of view, and unconventional approaches to software design and project management. ## Core Philosophy Getting Real is about skipping all the stuff that represents real (charts, graphs, boxes, arrows, schematics etc) and actually building the real thing. ### Build Less Getting Real is less: - Less mass - Less software - Less features - Less paperwork - Less of everything that's not essential It's about staying small and being agile, delivering just what customers need and eliminating anything they don't. ## Key Principles ### 1. Underdo Your Competition Do less than your competitors to beat them: - Less features - Less options/preferences - Less people and corporate structure - Less meetings and abstractions - Less promises ### 2. Fix Time and Budget, Flex Scope Keep them fixed and scale the scope down. Never throw good time after bad work. ### 3. Start with No Every new feature request should meet a "no" first. Each time you say yes to a feature, you're adopting a child that needs to be supported, maintained, and defended. ### 4. Build Half a Product, Not a Half-Assed Product Sacrifice some of your darling features to make the half you build is great. ### 5. It's a Problem When It's a Problem Don't waste time on problems you don't have yet. Optimize for now and deal with problems when they actually occur. ### 6. Hire the Right Customers You can't please everyone, and you shouldn't try. Focus on your ideal customers and ignore feature requests from people who aren't your target audience. ### 7. Scale Later Don't design for a scale problem you don't have. Start small and scale when you actually need to. ### 8. Make Opinionated Software The best software has a vision. It's clear about what it does and what it doesn't do. ## Application to Time Management While Getting Real was originally about software development, its principles apply to time management and productivity: ### Reduce Commitments - Say no to most requests - Keep your calendar light - Focus on what truly matters ### Eliminate Overhead - Reduce unnecessary meetings - Cut down on planning and documentation - Skip processes that don't add value ### Prioritize Ruthlessly - Build less, but better - Focus on the essential - Let non-critical tasks drop ### Work Simply - Use simple tools - Avoid overengineering your systems - Start with the minimum and add only when necessary ## Implementation Guidelines ### For Projects 1. **Start with the interface**: Build what users will actually interact with first 2. **Iterate quickly**: Get something working fast, then improve it 3. **Ignore details early on**: Polish later, functionality first 4. **Manage debt**: Be willing to go back and fix early decisions 5. **Embrace constraints**: Limitations force creativity and focus ### For Teams 1. **Stay small**: Small teams move faster and communicate better 2. **Hire later**: Do as much as you can with as few people as possible 3. **Keep meetings short**: If a meeting must happen, keep it brief and focused 4. **Write it down**: Use written communication to reduce meetings 5. **Work remotely**: Let people work where they're most productive ### For Daily Work 1. **Do the simplest thing that works** 2. **Deliver working solutions quickly** 3. **Get feedback early and often** 4. **Reduce work in progress** 5. **Question every feature, meeting, and process** ## Key Takeaways - **Simplicity wins**: The simpler solution is usually the better one - **Focus creates value**: Doing less, but better, beats doing everything mediocrely - **Real beats perfect**: Shipping something real is better than planning something perfect - **Constraints breed creativity**: Limitations force innovative solutions - **Less is possible**: You can achieve more by doing and having less ## Availability The full "Getting Real" book is available as a free PDF download by signing up for the Basecamp newsletter. It's also available for purchase in physical form. ## Related 37signals Resources 37signals has published several other books expanding on these philosophies: - **Rework**: Further distillation of unconventional business wisdom - **Remote**: How to work remotely effectively - **It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work**: Building calm companies ## Impact Since its release, Getting Real has influenced countless startups and teams to: - Question conventional wisdom about product development - Embrace simplicity and constraints - Focus on shipping real products rather than endless planning - Say no more often - Build smaller, more focused teams and products The principles remain highly relevant for modern product development, project management, and personal productivity. --- _This Markdown mirror is generated by Ever Works for AI agents. The canonical HTML page is at https://timetrack.works/hi/items/getting-real._