I just finished reading Rework again for what must be the third time. It’s a short, but incredibly dense book, squeezing a great number of innovative ideas into its ~150 odd pages of text.
If you haven’t heard of it, Rework is a treatise on how workplaces can be structured in the 21st century to optimise profits and employee satisfaction. It’s speaks specifically from the perspective of a small software company, but many of the ideas are generalisable to other workplaces.
I took some notes this time round on the points that really resonated with me. Reproduced here for your reading pleasure:
Learn from success; build on what works.
A lot of notable “Internet-famous” writers talk about using failures as learning experiences. This sounds great in theory, but in practice what is much better is to learn by doing what works. Instead of aiming for failure, aim for small, steady victories building towards bigger successes.
Find out what works and then double down your efforts on those things.
All “Plans” are really “Guesses”
Traditionally, planning and estimation are hideously inaccurate. Instead of trying to make your planning perfect, instead you should recognise planning for what it really is: guessing. Instead of a “business plan,” have a “business guess.”
Guesses should be organic. They grow and change as your current situation and knowledge do. Guesses provide a rough guide as to how you can move forwards – they aren’t set in stone.
Be a Starter
Don’t be an entrepreneur. Be a starter. Focus on building things that you believe in.
It’s what you DO that matters
What you plan, say or think doesn’t matter. It’s what you do that has a visible effect on the world.
Decide WHY
Think about why you’re doing what you’re doing – whether it’s an art project, a start-up or writing a book. Once you know the reasons, decision-making on a daily basis becomes trivial. Make all decisions inline with your “reasons why.”
Build a Business, not a Start-up
Focus on delivering value in exchange for money. The word start up is charged with a lot of connotations that have absolutely nothing to do with building a business. Some of these connotations (the phrases “venture capital” and “exit strategy” come to mind) can actually be toxic to the development and growth of a business, especially in the early days.
Cut out the “good” to make it “great”
Do few things, but do them well. Cut out the stuff that’s just “OK” to highlight the remainder, which must be exceptional.
Ignore the details
At least when you’re starting a project, you don’t need to know all the details. Work out the “broad strokes” and then drill down to the details later when you need to – but not before.
Decisions = Progress
Make decisions quickly. Procrastinating by putting off decisions or waiting until you have “more information” is deadly for small businesses. Make decisions quickly and cheaply, and then change them later if necessary.
Launch!
Get your product (book, software, painting, song) out there. It doesn’t exist until it’s out there in the world, and your first version is always going to suck. The quicker you can get it into the marketplace, the quicker you can get feedback and work on version 2.
And besides, real creators ship.
Avoid layers of abstraction
Avoid reports at all costs. Lots of numbers and undue verbosity are the enemy – aim for simplicity. Choose diagrams over statistics, prototypes over requirements and so-forth.
Aim for Quick Wins
Iterate, iterate, iterate. Aim for small projects that can be delivered quickly. If you must have a big deliverable, break it down into shippable units. Iterating quickly leads to quick wins that feed motivation. If you’ve been working for 2 weeks with nothing to show for it, it’s unlikely you’re going to be excited about the next 2 weeks.
Don’t be afraid to quit
Don’t be a victim to the sunk costs fallacy. If you estimate something will take you 2 hours, and 4 hours later you’re only halfway through, maybe you just need to let it go (or get some perspective from another person).
Always “park” new ideas
When ever a big idea for a project for feature hits you, don’t jump straight into implementing it. Instead, park it for a few days. Revisit it, and if it still makes sense, then it’s time to think about really doing it.
Appeasement is dangerous
In a small business you need to be able to be honest. If you think an idea is shit, you need to have the kind of work environment where airing that is acceptable.
Apologise for real
If you mess up, be honest about it. Don’t use the typical line, “I’m sorry if you were disappointed…”
If you’re sorry, say it! Don’t weaken your apology by littering it with conditionals. And don’t leave it there – take full responsibility for correcting the problem.
Culture is not something you create
Company culture is the byproduct of consistent behaviour. Culture grows by itself based on the values you encourage. You can’t artificially create a culture by
It’s not a problem until it’s a real problem
Don’t invent problems to solve. There are plenty of real ones out there for you to solve – especially if you’re running a small business.
Forget rules – communicate
Ignore conventions of formality when writing emails or using other mediums to communicate with others (colleagues, customers, coworkers). Instead, focus on getting your message across and being authentic.
Inspiration is fleeting
Being inspired to build something gives you superhuman powers. You can easily achieve in days what would ordinarily take you weeks. But inspiration is fleeting – it comes and goes without regard for what you want or need.
So with that said, take advantage of inspiration when it strikes. Drop every thing and create.
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