Getting Real
A must read for anyone building a web app. Getting Real is packed with keep-it-simple insights, contrarian points of view, and unconventional approaches to software design. This isn't a technical book or a design tutorial, it's a book of ideas. Anyone working on a web app - including entrepreneurs, designers, programmers, executives, or marketers - will find value and inspiration in this book.
“I got more out of reading this little e-book than just about any other computer-related book I’ve ever read on any topic that I can possibly think of. Whoa.”
-Jared White
“Getting Real is now officially our ‘bible.’”
-Bill Emmack
“I can honestly say that this is the first book I’ve read about software development that has been able to reignite my passion for the process. It is an incredible and very relevant book. Thank you guys for publishing it.”
-Anthony Papillion
Full list of essays included in the book
Introduction
- What is Getting Real?
- About Basecamp
- Caveats, disclaimers, and other preemptive strikes
The Starting Line
- Build Less
- What’s Your Problem?
- Fund Yourself
- Fix Time and Budget, Flex Scope
- Have an Enemy
- It Shouldn’t be a Chore
Stay Lean
- Less Mass
- Lower Your Cost of Change
- The Three Musketeers
- Embrace Constraints
- Be Yourself
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
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
Process
- Race to Running Software
- Rinse and Repeat
- From Idea to Implementation
- Avoid Preferences
- “Done!”
- Test in the Wild
- Shrink Your Time
The Organization
- Unity
- Alone Time
- Meetings Are Toxic
- Seek and Celebrate Small Victories
Staffing
- Hire Less and Hire Later
- Kick the Tires
- Actions, Not Words
- Get Well Rounded Individuals
- You Can’t Fake Enthusiasm
- Wordsmiths
Interface Design
- Interface First
- Epicenter Design
- Three State Solution
- The Blank Slate
- Get Defensive
- Context Over Consistency
- Copywriting is Interface Design
- One Interface
Code
- Less Software
- Optimize for Happiness
- Code Speaks
- Manage Debt
- Open Doors
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
Pricing and Signup chapter 12
- Free Samples
- Easy On, Easy Off
- Silly Rabbit, Tricks are for Kids
- A Softer Bullet
Promotion
- Hollywood Launch
- A Powerful Promo Site
- Ride the Blog Wave
- Solicit Early
- Promote Through Education
- Feature Food
- Track Your Logs
- Inline Upsell
- Name Hook
Support
- Feel The Pain
- Zero Training
- Answer Quick
- Tough Love
- In Fine Forum
- Publicize Your Screwups
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
Other books by Basecamp
Shape Up
It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work
REWORK
REMOTE: Office Not Required