3 ms·

ok, am I the only one getting a bit annoyed about 37 signals rant about their mode is the best in the world and no one elses? They don't have to rant daily abo

by obelix 18y ago

ok, am I the only one getting a bit annoyed about 37 signals rant about their mode is the best in the world and no one elses? They don't have to rant daily about this. For every successful Thai restaurant, I can show you 4 that failed [or more]. There are many ways to Rome, 37 signals likes to walk to Rome while others take a lot riskier route. For each his own.

davidw 18y ago
Walking to Rome might be a very risky proposition if you have to cross any crosswalks.
pchristensen 18y ago
pg talks about startups all the time and no one complains. They're just doing their own form of self promotion and marketing. It's a lot easier for someone to buy your product if you've convinced them you're a genius.
imp 18y ago
I'm not annoyed. It's only been a few days of their "rants." I'm sure they'll talk about software again soon.
- nazgulnarsil 18y ago
  good data, more people should be aware of these findings.
fendale 18y ago
I think their model carries a lot of weight, but its not the only way. Besides, show me 1 successful business and I will be able to show you 9 that failed (if the 1 in 10 success statistic is correct) - most businesses will fail, not matter which way you do it.
- cstejerean 18y ago
  While 1 in 10 might be correct across all startups, I'm pretty sure that of the companies aspiring to be the next Google or Facebook the failure rate is far higher than 1 in 10. Otherwise all it would take is about 10 tries and statistically you would have a pretty good chance of being a multi billionaire.
  - pg 18y ago
    When Google and Facebook got started, they weren't trying to be the next Google or Facebook.
    - cstejerean 18y ago
      Can you make a really big poster with that phrase for next year's startup school?
    - bigbang 18y ago
      well we dont know that. Google and FB fended off acquistion offers earlier, so they believed they have big potential in store.
  - fendale 18y ago
    Yea that would be correct I reckon - the more adventurous you try to be, the bigger the reward, but also the less chance of getting any reward.
mkn 18y ago
I have two pet peeves here. One, this wasn't a rant. It was neither bombastic nor over-emotional. It seemed to me to be wholly uncontroversial. If anything, the relatively conservative steps he advises (starting a business with only moderately successful aims) seem downright boring. Second, the failure rate for new businesses is not 80 or 90%. Even a little bit of googling would put that to rest. To wit: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/news/coladvice/ask/sa990930.htm http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/news/coladvice/ask/sa99... And, as the article points out, the very buyout scenario that many YCers (HNers, really, unless you've been accepted) dream of would be counted among the failures. Fewer than 10% of these failed businesses were the dreaded bankruptcies. Seriously, nothing to see here. And if any of you really were convinced that you've got a 90% chance of failure, you would stop complaining about 37 signals "rants" and get to work shoring up your (apparently) failing business.
nazgulnarsil 18y ago
totally, their e-book also seems to take a "our way worked so it must be the best" tone while ignoring the fact that a big part of their success relied on recognition from the previous projects the founders had worked on.
- dhh 18y ago
  You might want to read http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch01_Caveats_disclaimers_and_other_preemptive_strikes.php http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch01_Caveats_disclaimers_an... as an explanation for the style taken in the book.
pius 18y ago
For the most part, I enjoy their blog. I like seeing apropos business or programming wisdom from Jason Fried and DHH, but I do find it obnoxious that Sarah, their customer service rep, is getting into the act now. How exactly is this person credible to tell people under the 37signals brand name to quit their jobs and start a startup? Everyone's a pundit these days.

by obelix 18y ago

davidw 18y ago

Walking to Rome might be a very risky proposition if you have to cross any crosswalks.

pchristensen 18y ago

pg talks about startups all the time and no one complains. They're just doing their own form of self promotion and marketing. It's a lot easier for someone to buy your product if you've convinced them you're a genius.

imp 18y ago

I'm not annoyed. It's only been a few days of their "rants." I'm sure they'll talk about software again soon.

nazgulnarsil 18y ago
good data, more people should be aware of these findings.

fendale 18y ago

I think their model carries a lot of weight, but its not the only way. Besides, show me 1 successful business and I will be able to show you 9 that failed (if the 1 in 10 success statistic is correct) - most businesses will fail, not matter which way you do it.

cstejerean 18y ago
While 1 in 10 might be correct across all startups, I'm pretty sure that of the companies aspiring to be the next Google or Facebook the failure rate is far higher than 1 in 10. Otherwise all it would take is about 10 tries and statistically you would have a pretty good chance of being a multi billionaire.
- pg 18y ago
  When Google and Facebook got started, they weren't trying to be the next Google or Facebook.
  - cstejerean 18y ago
    Can you make a really big poster with that phrase for next year's startup school?
  - bigbang 18y ago
    well we dont know that. Google and FB fended off acquistion offers earlier, so they believed they have big potential in store.
- fendale 18y ago
  Yea that would be correct I reckon - the more adventurous you try to be, the bigger the reward, but also the less chance of getting any reward.

mkn 18y ago

I have two pet peeves here. One, this wasn't a rant. It was neither bombastic nor over-emotional. It seemed to me to be wholly uncontroversial. If anything, the relatively conservative steps he advises (starting a business with only moderately successful aims) seem downright boring. Second, the failure rate for new businesses is not 80 or 90%. Even a little bit of googling would put that to rest. To wit: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/news/coladvice/ask/sa990930.htm http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/news/coladvice/ask/sa99... And, as the article points out, the very buyout scenario that many YCers (HNers, really, unless you've been accepted) dream of would be counted among the failures. Fewer than 10% of these failed businesses were the dreaded bankruptcies. Seriously, nothing to see here. And if any of you really were convinced that you've got a 90% chance of failure, you would stop complaining about 37 signals "rants" and get to work shoring up your (apparently) failing business.

nazgulnarsil 18y ago

totally, their e-book also seems to take a "our way worked so it must be the best" tone while ignoring the fact that a big part of their success relied on recognition from the previous projects the founders had worked on.

dhh 18y ago
You might want to read http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch01_Caveats_disclaimers_and_other_preemptive_strikes.php http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch01_Caveats_disclaimers_an... as an explanation for the style taken in the book.

pius 18y ago

For the most part, I enjoy their blog. I like seeing apropos business or programming wisdom from Jason Fried and DHH, but I do find it obnoxious that Sarah, their customer service rep, is getting into the act now. How exactly is this person credible to tell people under the 37signals brand name to quit their jobs and start a startup? Everyone's a pundit these days.