Getting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application | Basecamp Skip to content How it works Before & after Got clients? Pricing Support Sign in Try it FREE How it works Before & after Got clients? Pricing Support Sign in Try Basecamp Free 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. Read it online Download a PDF “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 Basecamp apps: iOS, Android, Mac, and PC, integrations. Company: about us, podcast, blog, books, handbook, newsletter. Guides: going remote, team communication, group chat: group stress. Our new app: HEY - email at its best. Fine print: customer rights, privacy & terms, uptime, system status. Copyright ©1999-2021 Basecamp. All rights reserved. Enjoy the rest of your day!