Episode · How I Write · 2024-05-22
David Perell & Jason Fried: books mentioned on How I Write
How Writing Helped Jason Fried Build an 8-Figure Business
Get ready to swap everything you know about business-writing for an unconventional approach that actually works. Basecamp CEO Jason Fried is one of the world’s most successful software entrepreneurs.
Jason Fried recommended The Overstory by Richard Powers. David Perell discussed Rework by Jason Fried and others, Getting Real by 37 Signals and others, Remote by Jason Fried and others, and It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Overstory
The Overstory by Richard Powers is a sweeping, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that intertwines the lives of several Americans whose fates are connected to trees and environmental activism.
Recommended“I just read this book, The Overstory. You know this book? Yeah, Richard Powers. Yeah. Oh my god, it was incredible.”
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“Because I know that I think with Rework you did a bunch of compression towards the end of the book. So what is different about the nature of a book there?”
Where to get it
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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“So even going back to Getting Real it's like 90 short pieces and that's the same thing in Rework and Remote and It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work.”
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“So even going back to Getting Real it's like 90 short pieces and that's the same thing in Rework and Remote and It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work.”
Where to get it
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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.
Discussed“So even going back to Getting Real it's like 90 short pieces and that's the same thing in Rework and Remote and It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Remote we kind of did. But but It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work Rework and Getting Real.”
“The the best editor I've ever worked with was on Rework. Okay. Um Rick Hogan was our editor-in-chief”
“So, Getting Real was in the early days. I think we published that in 2006 maybe. I don't remember exactly when that was, but it was pretty early on.”
“That's what Getting Real was. It was a series of recipes for how we think about building software.”