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This guy could have built the next Salesforce / google. but he eschewed hiring a sales team. He didn't want that, but still. Failing to achieve your true pote

This guy could have built the next Salesforce / google. but he eschewed hiring a sales team. He didn't want that, but still. Failing to achieve your true potential is not something to be bragging about all over the web.

campnic 14y ago
Is someone's "true potential" only reached when they chew up employees during 80 hour weeks? When they have a sales team that will do whatever it takes to land the sale including stretching the truth? Is 'true potential' only evaluated based on attainment of maximum dollars per day of business? I don't see how he has failed anything but living up to your idea of achievement which, frankly, seems a lot more shallow then his.
- ahoyhere 14y ago
  Well it's pretty clear what he means, if you ask me: someone's true potential is only reached when a guy named Acne_Researcher says it is.
  - Acne_Researcher 14y ago
    I felt that with their ideas, talent, and overall ability, they could have been a company useful to society as Google. Instead, they have focused on their niche and done very well. It was their choice to stay small and avoid greatness, and I don't criticize them for it, but I think that bragging about it all over the place is a little tasteless.
    - ionforce 14y ago
      Maybe he's trying to paint a picture where everyone doesn't need to aspire to be the next Google. Different strokes.
    - saraid216 14y ago
      You have feelings. That's great! Welcome to humanity. Do you have logic? Data? A Delphic oracle? Perspectives into a parallel universe where they hired a sales team? Something more substantial than feelings?
      - Acne_Researcher 14y ago
        Be nice, Michael. 37signals once built software I loved. Salesforce builds software I loath. 37signals could have been great -- a Salesforce with wonderful software -- but the CEO is happier to pat himself on the back and brag about laziness. That's my logic. Do you feel that I am incorrect?
        saraid216 14y ago
        > Do you feel that I am incorrect? Yup. That's exactly how I feel. I don't know why you're bragging about your incorrectness all over the internet, though.
        18pfsmt 14y ago
        I can't tell for sure, but it seems like you all know each other outside of HN, and perhaps have a relationship that is unknown to the rest of us. I think it is better for you to keep these things to yourselves, and not involve this community.
        saraid216 14y ago
        No, this was not the case. My name is in my profile. He is, however, the first person who made the mistake of thinking it would help his cause to use it.
mratzloff 14y ago
I suppose he doesn't really have to prove anything to anyone. Not everyone wants to run a 10,000 or 50,000 employee company. Not everyone would be happy with the stress or bureaucracy involved. Not to put too fine a point on it, but your attitude is exactly the kind of thing he's talking about in the linked interview. Mega growth and mega profits are one measure of success. A life with low stress and plenty of time for your family (and by the way, making all that possible for your employees, too) is another one.
- Acne_Researcher 14y ago
  I agree with what you. His style of running a business as likely maximized his personal happiness, and possibly his employees. But I would have liked to see him say "we could have been far more profitable, but we didn't care about that, so we limited hours and didn't hire salespeople." Instead what I hear him saying is "we are the best business we could be, because we limit hours."
  - aik 14y ago
    >> His style of running a business as likely maximized his personal happiness, and possibly his employees. Rather than the main focus being happiness, I think the main focus is: Are you building something great? And he believes maximizing happiness and job satisfaction is a core component of achieving something great.
    - mratzloff 14y ago
      You have it reversed. Building something great is a component of happiness.
timsally 14y ago
The company brings in several millions dollars a year [1]. They have one of the nicest offices in Chicago [2]. One of the partners had a super car commissioned a few years ago which on a technical level is more sophisticated than the machinery available to your average military [3]. So how aren't they "living up to their true potential"? [1] From the article. [2] http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2593-official-pictures-of-our-new-office http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2593-official-pictures-of-our... [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagani_Zonda#HH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagani_Zonda#HH
- Acne_Researcher 14y ago
  Their true potential was to be a 50 billion dollar public company, in my opinion. I could be wrong. There are more important things in life than money, of course. But I felt they chose to leave too many chips on the table.
  - dtby 14y ago
    Which table?
- larrys 14y ago
  What are you exactly using to determine that in the city of Chicago "they have one of the nicest offices"? Impossible to say that from the pictures. As far as the car goes, very little info on that and additionally you are drawing a conclusion as far as DHH's money which could have come from other sources as well as 37signals.
r00fus 14y ago
He built up his hill of customers and you're slagging him because he didn't strip-mine the local quarry to build it into a skyscraper/mountain? I'd say it's equally likely that 37Signals could have failed utterly in rapid expansion as they could have succeeded if they made their moon-shot.
- Acne_Researcher 14y ago
  Good point. But I don't think hiring a sales team could have lead to a failed moon-shot attempt.
Confusion 14y ago
You could have built the next Salesforce, but unfortunately you wasted your time complaining on the internet about how extraordinarily succesful people have not 'lived up to their full potential'. Everyone has infinite potential.

campnic 14y ago

Is someone's "true potential" only reached when they chew up employees during 80 hour weeks? When they have a sales team that will do whatever it takes to land the sale including stretching the truth? Is 'true potential' only evaluated based on attainment of maximum dollars per day of business? I don't see how he has failed anything but living up to your idea of achievement which, frankly, seems a lot more shallow then his.

ahoyhere 14y ago
Well it's pretty clear what he means, if you ask me: someone's true potential is only reached when a guy named Acne_Researcher says it is.
- Acne_Researcher 14y ago
  I felt that with their ideas, talent, and overall ability, they could have been a company useful to society as Google. Instead, they have focused on their niche and done very well. It was their choice to stay small and avoid greatness, and I don't criticize them for it, but I think that bragging about it all over the place is a little tasteless.
  - ionforce 14y ago
    Maybe he's trying to paint a picture where everyone doesn't need to aspire to be the next Google. Different strokes.
  - saraid216 14y ago
    You have feelings. That's great! Welcome to humanity. Do you have logic? Data? A Delphic oracle? Perspectives into a parallel universe where they hired a sales team? Something more substantial than feelings?
    - Acne_Researcher 14y ago
      Be nice, Michael. 37signals once built software I loved. Salesforce builds software I loath. 37signals could have been great -- a Salesforce with wonderful software -- but the CEO is happier to pat himself on the back and brag about laziness. That's my logic. Do you feel that I am incorrect?
      - saraid216 14y ago
        > Do you feel that I am incorrect? Yup. That's exactly how I feel. I don't know why you're bragging about your incorrectness all over the internet, though.
        18pfsmt 14y ago
        I can't tell for sure, but it seems like you all know each other outside of HN, and perhaps have a relationship that is unknown to the rest of us. I think it is better for you to keep these things to yourselves, and not involve this community.
        saraid216 14y ago
        No, this was not the case. My name is in my profile. He is, however, the first person who made the mistake of thinking it would help his cause to use it.

mratzloff 14y ago

I suppose he doesn't really have to prove anything to anyone. Not everyone wants to run a 10,000 or 50,000 employee company. Not everyone would be happy with the stress or bureaucracy involved. Not to put too fine a point on it, but your attitude is exactly the kind of thing he's talking about in the linked interview. Mega growth and mega profits are one measure of success. A life with low stress and plenty of time for your family (and by the way, making all that possible for your employees, too) is another one.

Acne_Researcher 14y ago
I agree with what you. His style of running a business as likely maximized his personal happiness, and possibly his employees. But I would have liked to see him say "we could have been far more profitable, but we didn't care about that, so we limited hours and didn't hire salespeople." Instead what I hear him saying is "we are the best business we could be, because we limit hours."
- aik 14y ago
  >> His style of running a business as likely maximized his personal happiness, and possibly his employees. Rather than the main focus being happiness, I think the main focus is: Are you building something great? And he believes maximizing happiness and job satisfaction is a core component of achieving something great.
  - mratzloff 14y ago
    You have it reversed. Building something great is a component of happiness.

timsally 14y ago

The company brings in several millions dollars a year [1]. They have one of the nicest offices in Chicago [2]. One of the partners had a super car commissioned a few years ago which on a technical level is more sophisticated than the machinery available to your average military [3]. So how aren't they "living up to their true potential"? [1] From the article. [2] http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2593-official-pictures-of-our-new-office http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2593-official-pictures-of-our... [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagani_Zonda#HH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagani_Zonda#HH

Acne_Researcher 14y ago
Their true potential was to be a 50 billion dollar public company, in my opinion. I could be wrong. There are more important things in life than money, of course. But I felt they chose to leave too many chips on the table.
- dtby 14y ago
  Which table?
larrys 14y ago
What are you exactly using to determine that in the city of Chicago "they have one of the nicest offices"? Impossible to say that from the pictures. As far as the car goes, very little info on that and additionally you are drawing a conclusion as far as DHH's money which could have come from other sources as well as 37signals.

r00fus 14y ago

He built up his hill of customers and you're slagging him because he didn't strip-mine the local quarry to build it into a skyscraper/mountain? I'd say it's equally likely that 37Signals could have failed utterly in rapid expansion as they could have succeeded if they made their moon-shot.

Acne_Researcher 14y ago
Good point. But I don't think hiring a sales team could have lead to a failed moon-shot attempt.

Confusion 14y ago

You could have built the next Salesforce, but unfortunately you wasted your time complaining on the internet about how extraordinarily succesful people have not 'lived up to their full potential'. Everyone has infinite potential.