francisco 28 Apr 05

need a tissue?

Adam Michela 28 Apr 05

Melyssa Lipsey 28 Apr 05

You should be proud!!!

I have this feeling that Backpack is going to be that “right arm” I have been missing…CAN’T WAIT! Your team always goes the extra mile to really listen to what the USERS needs and create an experience that keeps us coming back.

…tuesday hmm….putting you on my Ta Da list.

Smarmy Developer 28 Apr 05

smug.

beto 28 Apr 05

We feel the love too.

Stalick 28 Apr 05

You guys are a little full of yourselves sometimes. I wish you luck anyways.

Richard Bird 28 Apr 05

You’re right, Stalick. But, hey, they really do deserve it. I’ve always maintained that a strong, controlled, steadfast and moral *ego* is an absolute necessity for success in any venture, particularly in the arts. 37signals continues to deliver good thinking and execution like nothing seen anywhere else - in a matter of months, no less. Congratulations, David, Jamis, Jason, Matt, and Ryan on your latest achievement in the art of “simply usable.”

SH 28 Apr 05

I think anyone who works as hard as these guys do and who creates such amazing and innovative products as they have has every right to be a little full of themselves now and then. Backpack is an amazing product (not an hour goes by that I don’t use it and adore it) and the 37s team should take a minute to revel in the rewards and the praise of all their hard work.

And take a vacation.

Well done guys!

Pete Forde 28 Apr 05

Ask Joel Spolsky - the launch is just the beginning of the effort required to be successful. No rest for the wicked.

JohnBaku 28 Apr 05

I use the cue card method to keep a list of my tasks. I have tried useing specialized software as well as the task list in Basecamp but nothing beats the satisfaction I get from ripping up a cue card after I finish the task.

Though I do love… at least in theory, because I have not tried it yet… that you can email yourself tasks and information to Backpack instead of having to login.

Keep up the good work!

JF 28 Apr 05

If recognizing and thanking the team publicly is being full of ourselves, I’ll take that.

Andy Hume 29 Apr 05

Talk about hype build…

Dan Boland 29 Apr 05

Since when is publicly congratulating your team members a bad thing? Sheesh…

Rob H 29 Apr 05

Backpack is highly anticipated and I think that people will not be disappointed by what it offers. Big Props to the 37signals Team! And many more great ideas to come that are built around the principle of “It just works”
Rob H

Fin 29 Apr 05

It’s fantastic. Congrats x 5!

Elizabeth 29 Apr 05

If someone thanks you publicly and you can then transfer/extend that thanks to others publicly. But to thank yourselves publicly is being a little full of yourselves. Why does it have to be public. Why can’t Jason just thank each team member individually over an appopriate medium — in person, over the phone, in a letter, etc.?

Second, the post went beyond thanking. It was pretty self-congratulatory. Their project is apparently the result of amazing work, amazing passion, and amazing ideas. It’s all pretty blatant marketing. If it weren’t marketing but sincere expression, it would be done in private.

But hey, they’ve got fans here who treat them as gurus, people who complement them on a project they’ve not yet seen in full or compared with alternatives. They’ve created this psychology that draws in sycophants.

JF 29 Apr 05

It was pretty self-congratulatory. Their project is apparently the result of amazing work, amazing passion, and amazing ideas. It�s all pretty blatant marketing. If it weren�t marketing but sincere expression, it would be done in private.

I thank privately and publicly. And yeah, we are excited about it and there’s nothing wrong with some self-congratulations. You should be excited about your work, about the people you work with. I’m not ripping anyone else down, just speaking my mind in a public forum where we share all sorts of opinions.

Do you think it’s wrong for Steve Jobs to thank and praise his team at his Macworld Keynotes for all the hard and amazing work they’re putting in? I think it’s great.

Dan H 29 Apr 05

I think you guys are great. And I feel it’s important to know when you’ve done something great. I’m not totally on board with Elizabeth, but I see where she’s coming from. In past posts, too, I’ve gotten a jive from 37s that is a little too elitist for me and draws people in who say things like “This web-app is the iPod of project management”. Come on. I admit, Basecamp rocks, Ta-Da lists are cool, and I’m sure Backpack will be neato. But someone who made up the iPod line is just looking to be quoted. I brought up (less than perfectly) in this earlier post that I think you guys have an elite additude that’s great and works for you, but the rest of us aren’t there yet. We can’t claim (as your homepage suggests) that we’re “an elite team of expert web…” And not all your readers have the flexibility of you at 37s.

Again, you do rock, I am jealous, but your readers are sometimes “sycophants” as Elizabeth said. Maybe just watch out for the Steve Jobs “Reality Distortion Field”. You may not live in the real world, but some of us have to.

Andy Hume 29 Apr 05

My initial comment was meant a little tongue in cheek. I have the greatest respect for the 37 signals team and their work, just as so many others do.

I also understand how building a hype is a huge marketing tool these days. Jason and his team are very good at that too…

I repeat… ‘talk about hype build’. ;)

SH 29 Apr 05

Seriously people, why does every fucking statement made on this site have to be turned into some sociological assessment of what was implyed by each word? Give them a break, I’ve been a first hand witness to the hard work each of the 37S employees have put into this project, and to say that THANKING them publically is a marketing scheme just smacks of school girl jealousy and ignorance.

Do you say the same thing when someone sings happy birthday to someone at a restaurant? Or sends their loved one flowers on a special day? Oh, of course if any form of gratitude or expression of emotion is public it doesn’t mean anything….BULLSHIT. Jason’s team worked hard, and what a tremendous act of gratitude he showed by publically admiring their work. He wasn’t saying, “Gosh, I just worked so hard on this, I’m going to pat myself on the back for it!”

Being proud of great work is not something to shy away from. Recognizing our own hard work is not self-involved, and it’s not some way of drawing attention to personal talent or ability. When we stop publically acknowledging people’s hard for for fear that we’ll *insult* or *offend* someone else who wasn’t involved is the day we stop admiring hard work and a solid work ethic altogether.

Stop being so goddamned cynical and let someone have their moment without letting your pissy little annoyance ruin the respect and admiration they deserve.

Andy Hume 29 Apr 05

I’m really not annoyed SH (whoever you are?)… it’s just a little elbow dig, honestly.

Imagine me with a sly grin on my face, and a glint in my eye, right? Like the cheeky chappy I am.

JF 29 Apr 05

A bit of levity… To quote the late Mitch Hedberg…

“You can’t make all the people happy all the time, and last night all the people were at my show.”

SH 29 Apr 05

Andy: I wasn’t talking about you, whoever you are, too ;).

PS. I know I sounded way defensive, but I swear I’m not Jason’s mom.

8500 29 Apr 05

I was going to type up a post similar to Elizabeth but I couldn’t remember how to spell sycophant…

Reminds me of first grade when I had to write an essay about my favorite food. I loved pizza but I could not recall how to spell it so I scribbled 2 pages about my false love of ham.

Side Note: Excellent use of a Hedbergism!

Dan Boland 29 Apr 05

Yeah, it’s a little insulting to be called a sycophant for reading and posting to a blog filled with intelligent people talking about things that are relevant to my life.

As for catching a whiff of “we love ourselves” from the 37s, you have to take into account how drastically different words on screen can be from words coming from your mouth.

It’s like when Jason started posting “Getting Real” topics and he got flamed and shit on for sounding like an elitist. But listening to Jason talk about these same concepts at the workshop was entirely different — everything made perfect sense, there was no convenience in his arguments, and bottom line, they seemed like three regular guys who really enjoy what they do.

James Archer 29 Apr 05

Jason, just remember that nothing says “I’m proud of you” like a big fat bonus!

Ho hum 03 May 05

Admiration, envy, jealousy—it comes in all flavors, most important though, is respect. Feel free to praise ‘em, or to rip ‘em, but keep it respectful. They’ve provided this forum, you’ve invited yourself here, show a little respect or beat it. I don’t like wasting my precious minutes wading through the cruft to find the wheat.

I can’t think of anything more self-involved than COMMENTING on weblogs—if you could muster up a tenth of the courage (notice I did not say talent) of the guys at 37S you’d be promoting your own positive ideas and creations (in an equally public forum) instead of trying to tear down someone else’s.

Not impressed 03 May 05

Sycophants.

You can say that again.

The only one with her feet on the ground is Elizabeth.

Public self-congratulation. Quite nauseating in fact.

Another overrated, overpriced product from 37signals.