Episode · David Senra · 2026-07-26
Books mentioned on DHH: How to Build a Profitable Company Without Losing Control
David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) is the creator of Ruby on Rails and the co-founder of 37signals, the company behind Basecamp, HEY, and ONCE. He has spent 25 years building a software business around one condition: no one gets to tell him what to do.
David Heinemeier Hansson discussed Getting Real by 37 Signals and others and Rework by Jason Fried and others. David Senra discussed Zero to One by Peter Thiel and others and Remote by Jason Fried and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Getting Real
Getting Real by 37 Signals, Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson, and Matthew Linderman is a manifesto outlining a smarter, leaner approach to building software and running a business without unnecessary bloat.
Discussed“All the chapters in Getting Real, most of them are half a page. Some of them are three paragraphs.”
Where to get it
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Rework
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson is a provocative and influential business manifesto that challenges traditional corporate wisdom, offering unconventional insights into productivity, remote work, and running a lean organization.
Discussed“In fact, when we wrote Rework, the initial manuscript that we submitted was, I think, 50,000 words.”
Where to get it
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Zero to One
Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters is a foundational business and technology book that argues true innovation creates entirely new things rather than merely copying existing models.
Discussed“I found one of my all-time favorite quotes when I was reading the book Zero to One.”
Where to get it
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Remote
Remote by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson is a foundational business guide that outlines how companies can successfully operate using distributed teams and remote work cultures.
Discussed“You guys published a book called remote in 2013 if I'm correct.”
Where to get it
