Getting better vs. feeling better
Over the past few months I've been taking guitar lessons from a friend of mine who happens to be an exceptional teacher. I got lucky. I used to play years ago, but probably only retained 10% of what I…
«I was learning, I could make stuff, but I didn't feel comfortable yet. I hadn't pocketed enough skills to feel at ease»
More from Jason Fried
"Hey, World!"
I've never had a personal blog. It wasn't for lack of things to say, observations to share, or opinions to float. It was primarily because setting up a personal blog was just too much of a hassle. It…
The only metric that matters to me
At Basecamp we don't manage our products with numbers. No goals, no KPIs, OKRs, or WHATEVERs. We do keep a close eye on performance and speed numbers as they relate to infrastructure, serving up…
An alternative to competition
Businesses love to compete. To beat, to win, to go 1-0. We don't. I have no interest in competing with anyone. And we don't frame internal decisions in a competitive way. Business has never been about…
Nodding heads, not turning heads
There's so much energy spent on trying to convince someone to do something, or buy something, or change their mind. It's all possible, but it's the hard road. Instead, I tend to try to get people to…
Creativity requires optimism
Pessimism can spark an idea. Annoyance can drive ingenuity. Disappointment can redirect effort towards change. But creativity requires optimism. Creativity isn't about starting something. It's about…