Some recent posts at the 37signals Product Blog:
Basecamp
AgileAgenda: a project scheduling application that integrates with Basecamp
“AgileAgenda integrates with Basecamp by synchronizing its scheduled tasks with todo items in Basecamp so you can share what tasks people should be working on. When someone marks a todo item complete in Basecamp, AgileAgenda will take that information and update the schedule the next time it’s synced up. Basecamp can help get things done, AgileAgenda will tell you when that will happen.”
Getting Real
FuelFrog uses Getting Real to keep things ultra-simple
“We built it by keeping things ultra-simple and released it with only the absolute necessary features. We even left out the ability to delete/edit your fuel records or the ability to recover your lost password. We launched the application three weeks ago and have spent nothing on marketing/advertising and currently have over 2,800 users. People really appreciate the simplicity and usefulness of the application.”
Backpack
Mac users: Create a Backpack Journal Dashboard widget using Safari’s webclip button
“So I have grabbed the updating part of the page as per the widget described and also the team’s recent updates. As a double bonus, it updates the clips when you invoke Dashboard so you get the latest team updates straight away rather than what you’d normally be having to do is refresh your browser’s page yourself.”
“And this is what mine looks like on my Dashboard.”
Suite
“100 Useful Web Tools for Writers” includes Highrise, Backpack, and Campfire
100 Useful Web Tools for Writers [CollegeDegrees.com] is a list that “will help you with your career, your sanity and your creativity whenever your write.” Three 37signals tools made the list.
Kidmondo uses Basecamp and Backpack to create online baby journal
“The early reviews have been positive and many people have equated it to a baby blogging platform or even a baby Facebook. My response tends to be that I find it closer to a baby Basecamp. Basecamp — which we used religiously in the development of the product — has been a constant inspiration in the design of the site. When we were stomped, we often asked ourselves, ‘what would 37signals do?’”
Kidmondo uses the new reply to a message via email feature in Basecamp.
Tony
on 20 Jun 08Regarding FuelFrog’s “We even left out the ability to delete/edit your fuel records or the ability to recover your lost password.”
The 37signals emphasis on simplicity seems to be a backlash to confusing, bloated software. But I think the whole simplicity thing can be taking way too far, to a point where the software is practically useless since it excludes necessary core functionality. Good design is a balance of simplicity and capability.
Lee Fuhr
on 20 Jun 08Typo …
“AgileAgenda integrates with Basecamp by synchronizing it’s scheduled tasks”
s/it’s/its/ (this isn’t a contraction of “it is”)
Other than that … good stuff!
Jose
on 21 Jun 08@Lee Fuhr: http://www.stormloader.com/garyes/its/#top
Jose Espinal
on 21 Jun 08*Agree with you Lee.
Tim Norris
on 21 Jun 08I have read Getting Real (have pdf and hard copy). I love it, yet find it difficult to put into practise. Here are my problems: 1. I don’t have the confidence to ask potential customers to pay for a service which they may deem as incomplete. 2. Regarding FuelFrog, how did they get so many customers without any marketing or advertising? Did they ‘go live’ and then just sit waiting for people to sign up? 3. Should we offer the ‘half-baked’ first release for free, introducing paid options once additional features are built in?
It just seems to simple and beautiful to be true. I think I need to unlearn the way I do things and take a step (or leap!) of faith. But what if it doesn’t work?
JF
on 22 Jun 081. I don’t have the confidence to ask potential customers to pay for a service which they may deem as incomplete.
If you take your suggestion to the extreme, you’ll never launch cause there will always be people who want more. Even if you spend 3 years on the first version, there will be things you didn’t include that some people want. Instead, just build a really solid basic first version and get it out there. Get real feedback from real customers and evolve the product from there.
2. Regarding FuelFrog, how did they get so many customers without any marketing or advertising?
You’ll have to ask them that one, but I bet they did market their product. They just did it differently than other people do it. Marketing can be done in a lot of ways—many that don’t resemble what might be considered marketing.
3. Should we offer the ‘half-baked’ first release for free, introducing paid options once additional features are built in?
No. If you are going to charge for something, charge for it on day one. You can have a free version too, but always have something for sale on day one.
Brandon Milford
on 22 Jun 08@Tim: As far as FuelFrog and getting a lot of customers quickly, I’d answer “why” before “how” in terms of marketing. “Why” meaning, why should anyone be interested in what we’re providing? We released FuelFrog as gas prices have continued climbing and many are looking carefully at their car’s fuel efficiency and how much they’re spending on gas (ie: it’s timely). In addition, FuelFrog is easy to understand. It also helped that we built it using Twitter’s API. For instance, many look at our software and think “Oh, I can do that using Twitter? Cool!”. So we’ve taken an existing application that many use and extended that functionality to help people track their gas mileage. They quickly understand what it can do for them and how to use it.
We’ve spent nothing on marketing so far as we’re now approaching 4,000 users. We’ve worked hard at reaching out to bloggers and communicating to them what we’re doing with FuelFrog. Since gas prices are on everyone’s mind, it’s been a relatively easy sell. What you’ll find is one bit of coverage will lead to others. We have been fortunate to receive coverage on a few major blogs and from those we’ve received other hits.
In terms of releasing your software, I couldn’t agree more with Jason on receiving feedback from customers. You will receive a ton of emails asking for certain features that your product does not include, but that’s ok. You have to develop a vision for the product and factor customer feedback into that vision, however you can’t allow customers to steer the ship or you’ll end up with an application that’s bloated and perhaps a far cry from its initial purpose.
Tim Norris
on 22 Jun 08Ok guys. Thanks for the replies.
I have decided -: I am going to go for it! I have perhaps a few weeks to get to a simple, solid first version. Then I will go live. (I had previously planned to release the first version in September or October. But that was on the assumption that there would be loads of features included.)
I will let you know how I get on if you are interested.
By the way Jason, I keep up to date with SvN and it is one of the highlights of my day when I see a new entry in my Google Reader! Keep up the good work and the demonstrating the new way of doing things.
Later, Tim
This discussion is closed.