Episode · This Week in Startups · 2020-02-18
Books mentioned on E1029: Basecamp Co-Founder & Author David Heinemeier Hansson (@DHH) debates Jason on reining in capitalism, benefits of state-run education & healthcare, big-tech disappointments, work-from-home paradigm shift, wealth tax & more!
0:56 Jason intros David Heinemeier Hansson (@DHH) and asks about the work-from-home paradigm shift 5:28 Measuring programming success via budgets instead of estimates, quantifying creativity 9:57 Are incentive systems inherently bad?
Jason Calacanis recommended It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and others and Rework by Jason Fried and others. David Heinemeier Hansson discussed Remote by Jason Fried and others, Drive by Daniel H. Pink, Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn, Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas, and Goliath by Matt Stoller.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work
It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson is a practical manifesto advocating for calm, focused, and sustainable work environments.
Recommended“if you haven't read the book it doesn't have to be crazy at work which he co-authored with his partner in Basecamp it's a great book great read”
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“and we wrote a book on this called remote office not required in 2013 and I thought man we're really late to this game everyone must clearly understand that remote is the future of knowledge work”
Where to get it
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Drive
Drive by Daniel H.
Discussed“there's been just a ton of research into this drive 2.0 was a Daniel Pink's book which outlines basically what motivates employees and you go they're motivated by mastery autonomy purpose”
Where to get it
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Punished by Rewards
Discussed“there's another great book called punished by rewards by Alfie Cohen that outlines all the scientific research on why incentive systems don't work and the key reason is that they push out the intrinsic motivation”
Where to get it
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Winners Take All
Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas is a critical examination of elite philanthropy and how wealthy change-makers often preserve systemic inequality under the guise of solving global problems.
Discussed“well and first of all also a lot of this is you go to philanthropy and winners take all is a great book and on another dress I'm trying to get a moment yes”
Where to get it
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Goliath
Goliath by Matt Stoller is a detailed economic and political history that examines corporate monopoly power, antitrust laws, and the historical struggle between public welfare and concentrated wealth in the United States.
Discussed“I've been reading Maps dollars Goliath the book the details how the trust Buster's in the in the 20s and 30s took on JPMorgan and took on Standard Oil and all these other things”
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.
Recommended“and if you have not read rework back from 2010 it is a great book a lot of great insights in there on how to do remote work and just run an organization”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“we just released the book as you pitched it doesn't have to be crazy at work guess what the slice of all sales in the US that Amazon have for that across all mediums of your book”
“there's a great there's a guy on that helped write or help do the research for Thomas Piketty capital in 21st century called forget it was first name it's Guzman let's put it in the show notes”