37signals-way

SKILL.md

The 37signals Product Development Framework

A complete system for building profitable software products without bloat, bureaucracy, or burnout. Over fifteen years, 37signals distilled their approach into three books: Getting Real (2006) established the "build less" ethos, Rework (2010) challenged conventional business wisdom, and Shape Up (2019) operationalized everything into a repeatable development process. Together they form a philosophy, a mindset, and a method for small teams that ship meaningful work on a predictable cadence.

Table of Contents

Core Principle

Scoring

1. Build Less, Underdo the Competition

2. Shaping the Work

3. Betting and Cycles

4. Small Teams and Execution

5. Opinionated Software and Clear Communication

Common Mistakes

Quick Diagnostic

Reference Files

Further Reading

About the Authors