Getting Real - Hagalo Realidad

Getting Real The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application

by 37signals

This book was prepared exclusively for Arturs Mednis.

Copyright © 2006 by 37signals All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from37signals, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. First edition

This book was prepared exclusively for Arturs Mednis.

Contents

1
2 6 9

Introduction
What is Getting Real? About 37signals Caveats, disclaimers, and other preemptive strikes

12
13 14 17 19 21 24

The Starting Line
Build Less What’s Your Problem? Fund Yourself Fix Time and Budget, Flex Scope Havean Enemy It Shouldn’t be a Chore

25
26 29 31 33 35

Stay Lean
Less Mass Lower Your Cost of Change The Three Musketeers Embrace Constraints Be Yourself

37
38 40 42 43 44 46

Priorities
What’s the Big Idea Ignore Details Early On It’s a Problem When It’s a Problem Hire the Right Customers Scale Later Make Opinionated Software

This book was prepared exclusively for Arturs Mednis.47
48 49 51 53 54 55 56 58

Feature Selection
Half, Not Half-Assed It Just Doesn’t Matter Start With No Hidden Costs Can You Handle It? Human Solutions Forget Feature Requests Hold the Mayo

59
60 62 64 66 68 70 72

Process
Race to Running Software Rinse and Repeat From Idea to Implementation Avoid Preferences “Done!” Test in the Wild Shrink Your Time

75
76 77 79 81

TheOrganization
Unity Alone Time Meetings Are Toxic Seek and Celebrate Small Victories

82
83 85 86 88 89 90

Staffing
Hire Less and Hire Later Kick the Tires Actions, Not Words Get Well Rounded Individuals You Can’t Fake Enthusiasm Wordsmiths

91
92 94

Interface Design
Interface First Epicenter Design

This book was prepared exclusively for Arturs Mednis.

96 97 99 100 101 102

Three StateSolution The Blank Slate Get Defensive Context Over Consistency Copywriting is Interface Design One Interface

103 Code
104 107 109 111 112 Less Software Optimize for Happiness Code Speaks Manage Debt Open Doors

114
115 118 120 121 123

Words
There’s Nothing Functional about a Functional Spec Don’t Do Dead Documents Tell Me a Quick Story Use Real Words Personify Your Product

124Pricing and Signup
125 127 129 130 Free Samples Easy On, Easy Off Silly Rabbit, Tricks are for Kids A Softer Bullet

131
132 135 136 137 138 141 143 144

Promotion
Hollywood Launch A Powerful Promo Site Ride the Blog Wave Solicit Early Promote Through Education Feature Food Track Your Logs Inline Upsell

This book was prepared exclusively for Arturs Mednis.

145

Name Hook

146 Support147 149 150 152 154 155 Feel The Pain Zero Training Answer Quick Tough Love In Fine Forum Publicize Your Screwups

157
158 159 161 162 163 164 165 166

Post-Launch
One Month Tuneup Keep the Posts Coming Better, Not Beta All Bugs Are Not Created Equal Ride Out the Storm Keep Up With the Joneses Beware the Bloat Monster Go With the Flow

167 Conclusion
168 171 Start Your Engines 37signalsResources

This book was prepared exclusively for Arturs Mednis.

Introduction

What is Getting Real? About 37signals Caveats, disclaimers, and other preemptive strikes

This book was prepared exclusively for Arturs Mednis.

2

What is Getting Real?

Want to build a successful web app? Then it’s time to Get Real. Getting Real is a smaller, faster, better way to build software.Getting Real is about skipping all the stuff that represents real (charts, graphs, boxes, arrows, schematics, wireframes, etc.) and actually building the real thing. Getting real is less. Less mass, less software, less features, less paperwork, less of everything that’s not essential (and most of what you think is essential actually isn’t). Getting Real is staying small and being agile. Getting Real...