37signals have talked a lot about how they build new features for existing products using Shape Up, where they carefully hammer the scope to avoid letting anything ever drag on for more than six weeks. But there's not a lot of information out there about how they approach new product development, where it can take over a year to actually get the first version out the door.
In this episode, Adam goes deep with Jason Fried about building and shipping their new HEY Calendar product, and whether or not Shape Up was part of that process.
Timestamps
- (00:00) - Building the HEY Calendar with Jason Fried
- (01:04) - Why build a calendar
- (04:12) - How 37signals approach new product development
- (07:30) - Deciding on scope before launch
- (13:13) - Was there a six-week version of the HEY Calendar?
- (15:38) - Deciding how much time to spend on a new product
- (17:46) - Was the HEY Calendar built using Shape Up?
- (22:20) - Working on one feature at a time vs. in parallel
- (28:47) - What cycles look like at the early beginnings of a product
- (38:49) - How a project starts
- (45:46) - Increasing surface area vs. finishing things
- (47:57) - The development process for HEY Calendar going forward
Links
Popular Podcasts
Cold Case Files: Miami
Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.