"Getting Real reminds small businesses why they shouldn't try to overcomplicate things"

Tobias Christensen wrote to us, "I read your book Getting Real, and found it brilliant!...The nice thing is that now we're able to express more clearly exactly why we are reluctant to include new features, hire more people, answer emails within the hour, etc."

We asked Tobias to tell us more and here's what he wrote:

Getting Real is all about being lean and agile, and keeping things simple, and it's written using this exact philosophy, which works out really well. Getting Real is filled with interesting comments and insights from a large number of businesses, as well as references to the development of 37Signals' own product line.

From my own experience I know it's really easy to overcomplicate things, as your company grows you start adding various control mechanisms, and before you know it your implementing controls mechanisms to control your control mechanisms. Getting Real reminds small businesses why they should stay lean and agile, and why they shouldn't try to overcomplicate things.

Getting Real also gave us some new ideas on the design and development, e.g. the concept of thinking of your application as a person, always asking yourself, 'would this person say or do this?' or the concept of asking users which functions they would like to remove from your application, instead of always asking the exact opposite question.

So to sum things up: Thanks to 37Signals for a great book, and to all others: 'read it!'

Thanks Tobias! Read Getting Real.