Reading this new book of JasonFried and David Heinemeier Hansson I found some great advice for our news industry.
Jason and David are partners of 37Signals, the company behind Basecam, the web-based project collaboration tool that, thanks to Christian Oliver, INNOVATION uses with all our consultants and clients.
As Bill Taylor, the co-founder of Fast Company magazine said: “37signals is a refreshing model of simplicity in an industry ruled (and haunted) by complexity.”
And now, some of the most important lessons from the book and my remarks for newspaper publishers, editors and reporters:
“Focus in what won’t change” (RELEVANT AND COMPELLING STORYTELLING).
“Launch now” (TIME TO INVEST, TIME TO INNOVATE).
“Meetings are toxic” (OPEN SPACE, WALLS-DOWN NEWSROOMS DON’T NEED MEETINGS).
“Quick wins” (LESS MEMOS, MORE DEMOS).
“Don’t copy” (BE DIFFERENT, INNOVATE).
“Pick a fight” (CAMPAIGNS, CAMPAIGNS, CAMPAIGNS).
“Build an audience” (READERS ARE NOT ENOUGH, WE NEED TO ENGAGE NEW AUDIENCES AND COMMUNITIES).
“Go behind the scenes” (DO THE NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS).
“Press releases are spam” (COMMODITY NEWS WILL KILL YOU).
“Marketing is not a department” (IT’S ONE OF YOUR LIFESAVERS).
“Hire great writers” (WORDS ALWAYS MATTER).
“Put everyone in the front lines” (TURN OFF YOU COMPUTER, GO THE STREET, MEET YOUR READERS AND ADVERTISERS).
“Send people home at 5″ (YOU ARE NOT ANYMORE INTHE BREAKING-NEWS BUSINESS).
“Emulate chefs” (NOTHING IS MORE SIMILAR TO A NEWSPAPER THAN A RESTAURANT!).
“Less mass” (MORE CAVIAR).
Of course I disagree too with some of the suggestions (“Ignore the real world”, “Why grow?”, “No time is excuse”, “Good enough is fine”…) but the whole book is provocative and inspirational like any Manifesto.
(Thanks to Benjamin Reece)
Tags: 37Signals, Basecamp, Benjamin Reece, Cristian Oliver, David Heinemeier Hansson, Jason Fried, News Industry, Rework, books
