Small Business Quote of the Week—Jason Fried

Jason Fried is the co-founder and President of the software company, 37Signals, which makes web-based applications like Basecamp and Highrise. He is also the coauthor of several books, including Getting Real: The Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Successful Web Application and Rework (which we’ve recommended as one of the 7 books every small business owner should read). Jason also writes a monthly column for entrepreneurs in Inc Magazine. He’s a prolific writer and thinker who speaks on subjects like collaboration, productivity and the nature of work. Here are a few things he’s said that we especially like:

“Features don’t sell your product. What your product does sells your product. What your product does isn’t a feature, it’s what it does. Features are what it does on top of what it does.”

“We don’t have rigid 40-hour work weeks. My employees can work as much or as little as they want—all I care is that they deliver. Timecards are the enemy. The only thing timecards will prove is that your employees are liars.”

“There’s nothing wrong with staying small. You can do big things with a small team.”

“You don’t need to outdo the competition. It’s expensive and defensive. Underdo your competition. We need more simplicity and clarity.”

“What you do is what matters, not what you think or say or plan.”

“Small is not just a stepping-stone. Small is a great destination itself.”

—Jason Fried, Author and Entrepreneur