Rework is now in stores
37signals.com
37signals.com
37signals brush it off as criticism that should just be ignored because their website includes the word "management", but a lot of what they say is pretty near the mark IMHO.
For example:
The authors' advice is so sweeping and deliberately
confrontational that it misses all the subtleties that
actually make businesses succeed. We are told: 'Meetings
are toxic.' In reality, good meetings are good and bad
meetings are not good, but don't try and make a name for
your software company by issuing such over-heated
generalisations.
Wow, I hate tea, so I haven't had much luck associating with my roots... until now!
Where did I brush it off and suggest it should be ignored? It's valid criticism coming from this fellow's perspective. Everyone brings their own perspective and attitude to their critique. I would encourage everyone to read all reviews from all perspectives. And then read the book and make up your own mind.
a publication called Management Today
(which brags about being home to “one of the most senior
readerships of any business title”) disapproves?
That sounds about right.
2. I don't agree with his review, but that doesn't mean I think it should be ignored. It should be studied and considered just like any review. Please read his review, please read this review (http://bit.ly/auQL0Q), and please write your own review.
UPDATE: The entry on SvN has been updated to read "Not everyone loves REWORK though. One critic called it "not just bad but dangerous."
For the record, I loved that point from Matt, and I like 37S' style - it suits you guys well. Most sensible people understand that "Meetings are toxic" doesn't mean "Never ever communicate" or anything silly - if anything, I'd say don't tone it down. People who like 37S like it because you turn the volume up and say it like it is and are not afraid of being casually outrageous at times. So please don't go excessively mainstream-friendly! Cheers and thanks for all the good work and free value you guys have distributed into the world, I'll be picking up a copy of Rework once I thin my reading list out a little.
On the other hand, "Good meetings are good and bad meetings are not good" doesn't tell me anything.
Since this is pretty similar.
"Meetings are toxic" is a sweeping generalization, which is obviously false. But it gets a high clickthrough/buy book/etc so it's what they use.
>> On the other hand, "Good meetings are good and bad meetings are not good" doesn't tell me anything.
What is there to tell though? Make sure meetings are productive, and if they're not, have less of them or make them more productive :/ hardly rocket science is it?
Alcohol is also toxic. Does that mean you should avoid alcohol altogether? Nope. But it does mean that you shouldn't spend your days drinking.
If the general tone of the "Meetings are toxic" chapter (passage?) is such as "you're dumb for even trying to attend, let alone organize, a meeting", then recognizing that some meetings can be good, as a footnote to a stronger idea of toxicity to most meetings, shows a lack of understanding of importance of good meetings from the author. While if the opposite is true, and the book tries to show how good meetings are good and bad meetings are not good, than the reviewer did not read (or understood) what he's criticizing.
Then again given the content of this book (and the style of writing) I doubt it warrants a rigorous review. Don't get me wrong; I think 37s makes great software and I love their design, the rest of it however...
That's both a good thing and a bad thing- it's like reading their best posts in a few hours. Awesome! But, as a book, it's pretty terrible- there aren't really any anecdotes, any stories, any discussions of turning points or moments of realization.
What would have been more interesting is each of these essays (Outside Money is Plan Z!) written around an actual story from their company history. A time they considered outside money, a month where they fucked up cashflow, the moment they had a Series A in corporate savings, a story of how they managed their finances versus competitors who took investment, their first full-time hire and the company's numbers at that time, anything to really dig into why they have come to these conclusions.
I agree with most of those conclusions, in fact, as a book the format sucks. Felix Dennis' How to Get Rich is a great example of succint, important points intertwined with stories that build up the background of each of those point. That makes them more memorable, and makes for a MUCH more enjoyable read. That's a book. This is a greatest hits of a blog. It's good for what it is, but it could have been a whole lot better.
They talk about how they run a business, and how you can start one by giving practical principles. For example in one chapter they say don't take external funding if possible, and that you have to treat it like a business, not a startup.
So far I think it's a great book. Many principles are not new (they talked about most of them in the past), but I still think it's worth it, regardless you having a company or not.
Now I'll go ahead and read some more pages.
There's actually an academic philosopher whose blog I follow who tends to get exasperated that commenters misinterpreted some point he made 300 blog posts ago, or clearly must be unfamiliar with his work because he already discussed this question 250 posts ago. I always end up thinking, well if you would just write that stuff up into book....
I've also seen books that are literally the blog entries put onto dead trees, though, in original, unedited sequential order, which is definitely not the way to go.
But you are amongst the 0.000...% of the world who's ever heard of us.
At a Y Combinator meetup in Seattle, someone asked me, "So where does Y Combinator get money to invest in startups?" My response was "Well, Paul and the other partners made money from previous startups..."
His response: "Paul Allen?"
I had absolutely no interest in reading Rework until now, and now I don't think I can refuse it. 37Signals' marketing is quite impressive.
"Fire workaholics", "Meetings are toxic" etc etc
It's all BS.
It's like some stupid advert for a new diet where you can eat more food and lose weight at the same time!
I'll buy you the business book of your choosing if you're the first person to post a good summary of this book to Squeezed Books. (I reserve the right to choose what's 'good', and also the right to veto any absurdly expensive business books you find).