RE WORKTHE CHEAT SHEET

37 signals.

01. Ignore the Real WorldIt’s a place where new ideas, foreign concepts and

unfamiliar approaches always loose.The Real World isn’t a place – It’s an

excuse/justification for not trying.

02. FAILURE IS NOT A RITE OF PASSAGELearn from your successes not your failures.

This is how nature works – evolution doesn’t linger on past failures, it’s always

building on what works.

03. PLANNING IS GUESSINGPlans let the past drive the future.

You have the most information when you are doing something, not before you have

done it.Figure out the most important thing this

day, week, year and DO IT!

04. why grow?Small is not just a stepping stone – It is a

destination in itself.

05. WorkaholismWorkaholics aren’t heroes – They don’t save

the day. They just use it up.The real hero is already at home – because she

figured out a faster way to get things done.

06. Be a Starter

No more “Entrepreneurs” Anyone who creates a new business

is a starter.

07. Make a Dent in the UniverseMake a difference and be part of something that’s

important. If you are going to do something – do something that

matters.

08. Scratch your own ItchMake something that you want to use – when you

solve your own problem you know exactly what theright answer is.

Plus you’ll know the problem and the value of thesolution immediately.

09. Start Making SomethingWhat you DO is what matters.

Not what you think or say or plan. Ideas arecheap and plentiful. The real question is how

well you execute.

10. No Time is No ExcuseThere’s always enough time if you spend it right. If youconstantly fear about timing things perfectly. They will

never happen.It is your responsibility to make your dreams come true.

11. Draw a Line in the SandWhen you don’t know what you believe,

everything becomes an argument. Everything isdebatable. But when you stand for something –

decisions are obvious.

12. Live it or Leave it

Standing for something is not aboutwriting it down – it is about

believing and living it.

13. You Need Less than You Think

Great companies start in garages all thetime.

Yours can too.

14. Start a Business – Not a Startup

A business without a path to profitisn’t a business – It’s a hobby.

15. You Need a Commitment

Strategy – Not an Exit StrategyIf your whole strategy is about leaving, chances are

you’re not getting far in the first place. You areemphasizing the wrong things if you just build a

company to get acquired.

16. Less MassHuge organizations can take years to pivot. They talk instead of act. Meet instead of do.

The more expensive it is to make a change – the lesslikely you are to make it.

17. Embrace Constraints

Constraints are advantages indisguise – forcing you to be

creative.

18. ½ Products vs. ½ Assed

ProductCut your ambition in half – you are better off

with a kick-ass half than half-ass whole. Lots ofthings gets better by getting smaller.

19. Start at the EpicenterIf I took this away from the product – would the value

that I’m selling still exist? The stuff that you HAVE to do is where you should

begin.

20. Ignore the Details Early OnNail the basics first. The big picture is all

you should be worrying about at thebeginning.

21. Making the Call is Making

Progress

Swap “Let’s think about it” with “Let’sdecide on it”.

It will bring motivation and momentum.

22. Be a Curator

Stick to what is truly essential. Constantlywork to remove, simplify and streamline.

It is all about quality.

23. Throw Less at the Problem

When things aren’t working: Cutback, trim down and then polish

what is left.

24. Focus on What Won’t

ChangeThe core of your business should be build aroundthings that won’t change. Fashion fades – focus onpermanent features that will never go out of style.

25. Tone is in Your Fingers

Fancy gear can help, but the truth is thatthe tone comes from you. Content is what

matters.

26. Launch Now

Once your product does what it needs to do, getit out there.

Stop imagining what’s going to work. Find outfor real.

27. Reasons to QuitEnsure you are doing work that matters: Why are you

doing this? Is this actually useful? Are you adding value?Will this change behaviour? Is there an easier way? What

could you be doing instead? Is it really worth it? Don’t throw good time at bad work.

28. Meetings are ToxicSet a timer, when it rings – the meeting is over. Invite as fewpeople as possible. Have a clear agenda. Begin with a specificproblem. Meet at the site of the problem. End with a solution

and a person responsible for implementing it.

29. Good Enough is FineFind a Judo solution: A fix that delivers

maximum impact with minimum effort. Remember you can usually turn Good Enough

into Great later.

30. Quick WinsMomentum fuels motivation – get in the habit of

accomplishing small victories. The longer something takes, the less likely you are

going to finish it.

31. Don’t be a HeroIf you already spent to much time on something that wasn’t

worth it. Walk away.You can’t get that time back. The worst you can do now is to

waste more time.

32. Go to SleepForgoing sleep means you destroy your

creativity, morale and attitude. It will comeback and bite you in the ass.

33. Your Estimates SuckWe’re terrible estimators – break the big thinks

into smaller things. The smaller it is, the easier it isto estimate. Instead of one twelve-week project,

structure it as twelve one-week projects.

34. Long Lists Don’t Get Done

Long lists collects dust and are guilt trips. Breakit down into smaller lists. Prioritize visually byputting the most important things at the top.

35. Don’t CopyIt’s a formula for failure. It skips understanding.

Understanding is how you grow. A copier will neverbe able to keep up and remains in a passive position.

Be influenced – but don’t steal.

36. Decommoditise Your ProductInject what is unique about the way you think into

what your sell. Make it something than no one else can offer.

Competitors can’t copy the YOU in your product.

37. Pick a FightHaving an enemy gives you a great story to tell your customers.

Taking a stand always stands out.People takes sides. Passion are ignited. People take notice.

38. Underdo Your CompetitionSolve the simple problems and leave the heavy, nasty,

problems to the competition. Sell the fact that your problem does less aggressively

as competitors sell their extensive feature list.

39. Who Cares What They Are DoingWorrying about the competition quickly turns into

an obsession.If you merely replicate there is no point to your

existence.

40. Say No by DefaultUse the power of NO to set your priorities straight.

Be polite about it though. Your goal is to make sure that yourproduct stays right for you. That way you can say “ I think

you’ll love it, because I love it”

41. Let Your Customers Outgrow YouMake sure it’s easy for people to get on board.

That is where continuous growth potential lies. You can’t be everything to everyone.

42. Don’t Confuse Enthusiasm with

Priority

The enthusiasm you have for a new idea isnot an accurate indicator of it’s true worth.

43. Be At-Home GoodSmart companies create something that is at-home good– when you get the product home you’re actually more

impressed with it.

44. Don’t Write It DownIf there’s a request you keep forgetting, it’s a

sign it isn’t very important. Your customers willbe your memory – showing you which things

you truly need to worry about.

45. Welcome ObscurityMake mistakes without the whole world hears about

them. Keep tweaking. Test random ideas. Try new things. Obscurity helps you protect your ego and preserve your

confidence.

46. Nobody Likes Plastic FlowersDon’t be afraid to show your flaws – there is a beauty toimperfection. When something becomes to polished it

looses it’s soul.

47. Press Releases Are SpamIf you want to someone’s attention it’s silly to do thesame as everyone else. Do something meaningful. Berememberable. Stand out. Be unforgettable. That is

how you get the best coverage.

48. Forget About the Wall Street

JournalFocus on getting your story into a trade journal orpicked up by a niche blogger. The barrier is much

lower.

49. Drug Dealers Get it RightEmulate drug dealers. Make your product so addictive,

that giving your customers a small free taste makesthem come back with cash in hand.

50. Marketing isn’t a DepartmentAccounting is a department.

Everything that you DO is Marketing.Answering the phone –It’s marketing.

Sending the bill – It’s marketing.

51. The Myth of Overnight SuccessTrade the dream for overnight success with slowmeasured growth. It is hard, but you have to be

patient and grind it out.

52. Do It Youself FirstYou might feel like you suck. That’s all right.

A) You can hire yourself out of it or B) Learn out of it.Try learning first.

53. Hire When It HurtsWhen there is more work than you can handlefor a sustained period of time and the quality

level is slipping. That is when it is hurting.

54. Pass on Great PeopleYou’ll be doing your company more than good ifyou bring in talented people who have nothing

important to do.

55. Strangers at a Cocktail PartyA small intimate dinner party among old friends

is what you should aim for.

56. Resumes are RidiculousAnyone can create a decent-enough resume.

You want a specific candidate who caresspecifically about your company, yourproducts, your customers and you job.

57. Years of IrrelevanceHow long someone’s being doing it is overrated.

What matters is how WELL they have been doingit

58. Forget About Formal EducationDon’t fall into the trap of thinking you need

someone from one of the “best” schools in orderto get results.

59. Everybody WorksEveryone’s got to be producing – avoid hiring

delegators. Those people who love tellingothers what to do.

60. Hire Managers of OneThey do what managers would do – set the tone,

assign items, determine what needs to be done etc.– But they do it by themselves and for themselves.

61. Hire Great WritersClear writing is a sign of clear thinking. Greatwriters know how to communicate. Writing is

today’s currency for good ideas.

62. The Best are EverywhereGeography just doesn’t matter anymore

– hire the best talent, regardless of wherethey are.

63. Test Drive EmployeesSome people sound like pro’s, but don’t work likepro’s. You need to evaluate the work they can do

now. Not the work they did in the past.

64. Own Your Bad NewsWhen something bad happens. Tell your customers. “No

Comments” is not an option. Apologize the way a real personwould, explain why it happens in detail, spread the message far

and wide.

65. Speed Changes EverythingGetting back to people quickly is probably the

most important thing you can do when it comesto customer service. Differentiate yourself by

answering thoughtfully and showing that you arelistening.

66. How to Say that You are SorryUse the appropriate tone and language to show that you

understand the severity of what happened. Also, theperson in charge should take responsibility. An “I”

apology is a lot stronger than a “we” apology.

67. Put Everyone on the Front

LinesListening to customers is the best way to get in tune witha product’s strengths and weaknesses. No one should be

shielded from direct criticism and/or customerfeedback.

68 Take a Deep BreathPeople are creatures of habit. That’s why they

react to change in such a negative way. Letpeople know that you are listening, but explainthat you are going to let it go for a while and see

what happens.

69. Decisions are TemporaryThe ability to change course is one of the big

advantages of being small. Pay attention to todayand worry about later when it gets here.

70. skip the RockstarsInstead of thinking about how you can land a room full of

rockstars. Think about the room instead. Cut the crap and youwill find that people are waiting to do great work. Rockstar

environments develop out of trust, autonomy andresponsibility.

71. They are not ThirteenWhen you treat people like children, you

get children’s work. When everythingconstantly needs approval, you create a

culture on non-thinkers.

72. Send People Home at 17:00When people have something to do at home –

they get down to business. You don’t need morehours – you need better hours.

73. Don’t Scar on the First CutDon’t create a policy because ONE person did

something wrong once. Policies are only for situationsthat come up over and over again.

74. Sound Like YouBeing hones about who you are is smart in any

business. That applies to the language that you useeverywhere: in email, packaging, presentations etc.

Talk to your customers the way you would do tofriends.

75. Four Letter WordsNeed, Must, Can’t, Easy, Just, Only, Fast.

These words get in the way of healthycommunication. They create black & white

situations (which are rare).

76. ASAP is PoisonReserve your use of emergency language to true

emergency situations. The kind where there are direct,measurable consequences to inaction.

For everything else: Just chill out.

77. Inspiration is PerishableIdeas are immortal. They last forever.

Inspiration is like fruit or milk. It has an expirationdate. When you’re high on inspiration you can get two

weeks of work done in 24h. Inspiration is a timemachine in that way.

78. Emulate ChefsShare everything you know. A recipe is much easier

to copy than a business. What can you tell the world about how you operate

that’s informative, educational and promotional?What are your “recipes”?

79. GO BEHIND THE SCENESPeople are curious about how things are

made. Letting people in behind thecurtain changes your relationship with

them. Creating a bond, as they see you ashuman beings instead of a faceless

company.