Jason Fried, 37signals (makers of Basecamp, HEY and ONCE)

Jason Fried, 37signals (makers of Basecamp, HEY and ONCE)

From David Senra by Scicomm Media

February 15, 2026 · 2h 21m · Episode 11

About this episode

Jason Fried discusses his journey as co-founder and CEO of 37signals and the evolution of its products.

Jason Fried is the co-founder and CEO of 37signals, the software company behind Basecamp, HEY, and ONCE. Fried is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in modern product development, remote work, and business philosophy. He founded 37signals in 1999 as a web design consultancy, initially creating websites for clients while developing strong opinions about simplicity, clarity, and user-centered design. In 2004, the company pivoted to product development, launching Basecamp as a project management tool born from their own internal needs. The product's success led 37signals to transition entirely from consulting to software. Under Fried's leadership, 37signals became known for challenging Silicon Valley orthodoxies. The company remained bootstrapped and profitable, rejected venture capital, embraced remote work decades before it became mainstream, and advocated for sustainable growth over hypergrowth. In 2014, the company rebranded as Basecamp Inc. to focus exclusively on its flagship product, before returning to the 37signals name in 2022 as it expanded its product line. That same year, the company launched HEY, a reimagined email service, and later introduced ONCE…

People in this episode

Host: David Senra

Guest: Jason Fried

Topics covered

  • product development
  • remote work
  • business philosophy
  • software
  • entrepreneurship

Keywords

  • Jason Fried
  • 37signals
  • Basecamp
  • remote work
  • business philosophy
  • software development
  • entrepreneurship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: 37signals

Products: Basecamp, HEY, ONCE

Books & works: REWORK, Getting Real, Remote: Office Not Required

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