“It is time to rework work. Let’s get started,” declares the authors of the new business book Rework by 37signals founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.
They want to change how businesses are run, and to borrow a segment title, “Make a dent in the universe.” They are definitely knocking on the universe’s door.
I read a review copy, and was inspired to rework my own thoughts on entrepreneurship and business strategy.
What Worked Well in Rework
This is a book you don’t want to judge too quickly. On first blush the short content seems gimmicky for a book claiming to have a revolutionary outlook. The chapters cover an arc of business growth with intriguing names: Takedowns (addressing the barriers to starting a business), Go (Getting started in business), Progress, Productivity, Competitors, Evolution, Promotion, Hiring, Damage Control, and Culture. Within each chapter is a bold statement, a short page or two of explanation, and a memorable image, all with a ready-for-e-book feel.
Ah, but what seems lacking on the surface can be fulfilling when examined. Rework will pleasantly surprise you once you delve in. This book offers simple been-there-done-that advice — and it is anything but shallow.
It distills the typical business subjects to essentials, then offers inspired suggestions with a sharp imaginative eye. Here’s one piece of realistic advice that rings true: entrepreneurs should seek alternative means to get their business exposure besides major media publications. In the “Forget about the Wall Street Journal” segment they write:
“Pitching a reporter at one of these place is practically impossible… you’re better off focusing on getting your story in a trade publication or picked up in a niche blog.”
The Takedown segments get the ball rolling, with sharp headlines throughout the other chapters. Hansson and Fried explain why Meetings are Toxic and Press Releases are Spam. Especially powerful was the segment on the “Myth of the Overnight Sensation”:
“It’s not the whole story. Dig deeper and you’ll usually find people who busted their asses for years to get into a position where things take off…. Trade the dream for overnight success for slow, measured growth…. You have to do it for a long time before the right people notice.”
I loved the musings on “Learning from Mistakes is Overrated”:
“You might learn what not to do again, but how valuable is that? You still don’t know what you should do next…. Evolution doesn’t linger on past failures, it’s always building upon what worked. So should you.”
Every idea proposed shows imaginative ways to spur you to intriguing decisions. Example: letting your customers outgrow you:
“When you let customers outgrow you, you’ll most likely wind out up with a product that’s basic…. Small simple needs are constant. There’s an endless supply of customers who need exactly that.”
Steps in the growth process are turned on their head without being dumbed down. Tips such as “Hire managers of one” will re-imagine the hiring process for leaders. “Resumes are ridiculous” says resumes are “filled with action verbs that don’t mean anything.”
Rework relies on the authors’ perspective, who deliberately set about creating a small business and avoided being bogged down by external factors such as venture capital or extensive research. That’s the perspective of this book.
References to outside sources to support their views do appear, like in the overrated mistake learning example (it mentions a Harvard study on entrepreneurship and failure).
Readers are cautioned to de-emphasize traditional tools for early efforts — “Your Estimates Suck” dovetails into the concept that not having a plan is okay. It is based on the authors’ experience. These ideas are valuable for startups or small businesses with a few employees.
What Might Have Worked Better
In a few instances subjects contradict or need more explanation than a page or two. A tip to “Pick A Fight” – calling out your competitors – seems to contradict a later query “Who cares what they’re doing?” which is about ignoring your competitors. Moreover, the Audi example in the “Pick A Fight” segment breaks a marketing rule to never mention your competition (doing so can remind your customers of the competition’s advantage over your product).
Miscues are rare, though. In a brisk and comfortable pace Rework experiments well in reframing business. It offers practical steps for establishing culture, strategy, and productivity.
Who Should Read Rework
The advice in Rework fits small service firms with simplicity at their operational core. Refreshingly the authors own up to their perspective, offering no apologies for its honest language, or for the fact that it is written mostly from the 10-year experience of running a 16-employee software firm.
Rework may not fully appeal to firms with engineered products or joint ad-hoc projects that want more detail regarding processes. Managing a joint project between businesses can require coordination to make a profit. Such joint collaboration is not deeply covered, a particular point given the increased tendency to coordinate small businesses remotely together.
Rework is right for entrepreneurs and small businesses that offer services and are intent on steady solid growth and profitability. If you have a services type of business, this book will be ideal for you. The flexibility to scale advice, coupled with clear explanations, is what makes Rework a rousing success in its mission. In its originality Rework has found a clever way to stir the entrepreneur in everybody.
About the Author
Pierre DeBois is the founder of Zimana, a consultancy providing strategic analysis to small and medium sized businesses that rely on web analytics data. A Gary, Indiana native, Pierre is currently based in Brooklyn. He blogs at the Zimana blog.
Lisa Barone is Co-Founder and Chief Branding Officer at 
Movies have a big impact on our everyday life. There is no denying that even with DVRs where we can record everything on cable television, we still take a lot of time to watch movies. The 2009 movie “Avatar” now has become the 
Barry is a very funny and smart entrepreneur and writer. As his bio says, “Barry J. Moltz has been running small businesses with a great deal of success and failure for 15 years.” Dubbed the Bill Cosby of entrepreneurship, because of his humor, he can be found at 
The Better Way Challenge from Verizon
Laura Leites is managing editor of 
If you’re like a lot of small business owners I’ve talked to since we rang in 2010, you probably sympathize with this statement: “Enough with the doom and gloom already. I don’t want to know how awful the economy is, I want to know how to make a profit anyway!”
Dawn Rivers Baker, an award-winning small business journalist, regularly reports and analyzes small business policy and research as the publisher of the 
When you’re a small business, positive word-of-mouth is critical to growth. One of the best ways to get that buzz going is through publicity. But how do you compete with the big guys, and get publicity? Here are the only three steps you need to get great publicity FREE:
Margie Zable Fisher is the President of Zable Fisher Public Relations, a public relations firm that works exclusively with small businesses. She offers free award-winning Public Relations tips at 