Yesterday David posted Ten apps is all I need. The crux of his argument was that the platform doesn’t matter as long as the basics are spot on.

I have a different take on the topic.

First, here’s where we agree: The basics absolutely matter. If the basics aren’t right then worrying about the other stuff is futile. This is why Apple put years of thoughtful work into getting the basics right. Then they released the iOS and the iPhone. Then, a year later, they turned the iOS into a platform for third party developers. And today that platform is available on tens of millions of iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads. Apple got their priorities straight.

Now, here’s where we disagree: This isn’t about need, it’s about want. The iOS platform cooks up a hot tasty plate of want. That makes it smart for Apple, lucrative for developers, satisfying for existing customers, and lustful for potential customers.

What fraction of the 200,000 apps do I use? It would round down to zero. Same as on my Mac – I just use a few apps. On the iPhone home screens of 18 37signals employees, I counted over 50 unique apps. But counting apps and debating which ones matter is the small picture.

The big picture is why people buy.

In Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Paco Underhill argues that if we all bought just what we needed, the economy would collapse. Once our basic needs are taken care of, we move on to buy what we want. Anyone who can afford an iPhone is well into the buying-what-they-want stage.

So what do people want when they buy a smartphone? Quality? Entertainment? Coolness? Utility? It depends who you are. Different people want a different mix of those things. Imagine if you could buy one thing and turn it into just about anything in a matter of seconds. That’s the iOS platform pitch and it’s a hard one to resist. That’s why 200,000 apps matter.

But let’s go deeper. When people spend a few hundred bucks on a phone, and sign a long term contract, they want something more fundamental: They want to know they’re making a decision they won’t regret over the next two years. What are they going to want to do with this phone over the next two years? They aren’t sure. Maybe they’ll want to play some games. Maybe they’ll want to store some recipes. Maybe they’ll want to make a movie. That’s why 200,000 apps matter.

Now you could argue that they could do all these things if the platform only had 50,000, 10,000, 5,000 apps. And maybe they could. You could do a lot on your Mac in the 90s, but a shitload of people bought Windows machines instead because there was more software available on Windows. They wanted to know that if they walked into the computer store, just about anything they bought would work on their Windows machine. Rational or not, people buy into safety. That’s why 200,000 apps matter. Windows had the moat. Now Apple has the moat.

There are more points to be made, but that’s enough for now. The platform matters because it makes you feel confident about spending a few hundred dollars on a phone that you’ll have for the next two years. 200,000 apps have you covered. And as the TV spots remind you every day… “If you don’t have an iPhone you don’t have…an iPhone.”

RELATED: iPhone SDK, Apple’s Touch Platform, and The Next Two Decades.

I love iA Writer. I mostly use the Mac version, but they also have an iPad version. It’s a great example of focusing on the right things and executing them carefully and thoughtfully.

Equally impressive is the video that promotes iA Writer. It’s flat-out fantastic. There’s an idea, a vision, a storyline, and flawless execution. I love how it playfully picks a fight with bloated word processors and then uses the interface to explain itself.

There are a million ways to make a boring video about software that lets you type, write, format, and save a document. They went in the other direction.

I aspire to be able to produce something this good. Well done.

iA Writer for Mac from Oliver Reichenstein on Vimeo.

As often as I can, I’m going to be writing about people who’ve inspired, taught, or influenced me in one way or another. Some of these people I know personally, others I’ve just read about or admired over the years.

Richard Bird runs R.BIRD, a brand and package design firm in New York. He’s been in the industry for over 35 years and his design business has been around for nearly 30 years.

I met Richard because he was a customer of mine. Back in mid 90s I wrote some FileMaker Pro-based organizing products. One was called Audiofile. It let you organize your music collection. Richard was an avid music collector so Audiofile was perfect for him. I think he found it in the file sections on AOL.

I don’t remember how we struck up a friendship, but we’ve kept in touch for years. For the last few years we’ve talked by IM nearly every weekday. As business owners we shoot the shit about business, talk about the industry, share interesting links related to design, ideas, writing, advertising, and politics. We often start our days with a quick “morning” IM to one another.

I admire Richard for many reasons. For one, he’s a survivor. It’s not easy running a design firm for 30 years. Things in that business change fast, and he’s managed to thrive and survive through it all. He’s seen a lot and been through a lot. There have been many times when they were on the brink of closing shop, but he always found a way to keep it together. I have deep respect for that.

Another thing I admire about Richard is that he’s one of those guys who just knows what’s right in a situation. If I’m struggling with a tough decision, I’ll often run it by him first. Inevitably he gives me sage advice. Never sensational, always respectful and thoughtful and objective. I always know that when I ask him a question I’ll get his honest opinion back. That’s rare – many people sugarcoat their thoughts. We don’t always agree, but I always consider his perspective.

I’ve learned a lot from Richard and I look forward to learning a lot more.

Check out R.BIRD to find out more about his business. One of my favorite things they do is their Patterns series where they visit retail stores to photograph and observe product packaging on shelf in search of common design threads and competitive opportunities. If you’re interested in brand packaging, retailing, and trends, Patterns is a fascinating read.

Design matters

We believe you can’t be a great software company without great design. We believe in clarity, smooth user experiences, the right words in the right places, well organized and clean code, and all the little touches that make an interface feel just right. You should believe in these things too.

What you’ll be working on

Designers at 37signals are always working on different things. You may be working on polishing up an existing feature in Basecamp or designing the UI for a brand new feature in Highrise. You may be revamping Backpack or fundamentally rethinking some UI in Campfire. Or maybe you’re involved in designing a brand new product or a new marketing site. You may be asked to come up with something no one has ever seen before.

Besides having great visual taste and talent, you must code well-structured HTML/CSS. Basic Javascript or Rails skills are a plus, but not required. Great writing skills are required.

Work on products that define an industry

At 37signals you’ll be working on products that people rely every single day on to get their job done. Your work will impact millions of interactions. You’ll be working with some of the best designers, programmers, dev ops folks, and customer support people in the industry. Our team is top notch and we want you to make it even better.

Solve real problems

Our projects are always focused on solving real problems. When the problem goes away we know the design is right. Your job, as a designer at 37signals, is to make our customers’ problems go away.

Be a leader

At 37signals, designers lead the teams. Each development team is made of up three people – two programmers and one designer. The designer also manages the project. In addition to designing the screens/elements, you’ll keep the team focused and make calls about what’s important.

What we’re looking for

We’re not looking for a certain design style, we’re looking for a certain design approach and taste level. Simplicity isn’t enough – clarity is where it’s at. You think about how people interpret the objects on the screen. What they think about, what moves them, what frustrates them, what makes them happy. You know that the right design decision can make all the difference.

You’re excited to discover a better solution, even well into a project. You don’t mind throwing something out in favor of a better idea or implementation. Projects at 37signals start with real code. Feedback from an evolving prototype guides the team. While we’re very pragmatic about code, it is important that your design/code is easy to change in response to feedback.

You love to write, too

You understand that copywriting is design. The words matter as much as the pixels. Great visuals with weak words are poor designs. You should care about how things are phrased as much as you care about how they look.

Chicago or anywhere

We’re open to hiring the best person no matter where they are. If you’re in Chicago all the better (we have an open desk for you in our office), but if not that’s fine too – more than half of our company works remotely all over the world. If you do want to relocate to Chicago we’re open to that as well.

How to apply

Send relevant work samples, and anything else that will make you stand out, to [email protected]. Include [UI DESIGN] in the subject of the email.

It doesn’t matter where you went to school, or if you even graduated. It doesn’t matter if this is your first job or your fifth. Doing great work and being driven to improve yourself and everything you touch is what matters.

If we think you may be a good fit we’ll be back in touch with step two of the application process.

Application deadline

We’ll be accepting applications for this position until June 6, 2011.

We look forward to receiving yours.

I’ve been working out with a trainer for the past few years, mostly because I’m too lazy to go to the gym on my own. But also because I want to get better at working out. I want to be more efficient and not waste time doing stuff that doesn’t matter, etc.

My biggest problem has been slowing down. I tend to work out too fast. Lift too fast, do crunches too fast, do pushups too fast, etc. It may sound counterintuitive, but you can actually waste time by doing things too quickly.

I haven’t been able to catch myself when I’m going too fast. I’m certainly capable of slowing down, and I fundamentally understand the benefits of slowing down, but I just couldn’t come up with something that pops in my head to encourage me to slow down when I find myself going too fast.

Then my trainer asked me what I would do if I had three darts, had already thrown two, and I only had one shot left at hitting the bullseye.

I told him I’d slow down. I’d take a deep breath, measure the distance, mock a few practice throws back and forth, settle in, focus, and throw. I wouldn’t rush up there and just toss the thing.

And it clicked for me. When you really want to do something right, which is usually what you should be striving for, you tend to slow down.

Of course it’s all relative as some things are more important to get right than other things, and there’s often external context which may make slowing down impossible, but in general, given the opportunity, you’d slow down to get something right.

And while some things really do require split-second decision making, the worst thing to do is to invent artificial urgency and cheat yourself.

Sortfolio, our visual directory of web designers, has been helping companies find web design firms (and helping web design firms find clients) since October of 2009.

Sortfolio works

It’s been working quite well for people. In a recent survey we conducted, 45% generated new business through Sortfolio, and 64% said leads were moderate to high quality.

We believe in Sortfolio. It’s still the best way to browse web design firms. It beats Google, text directories, or hiring your friend’s cousin. Browsing by visual portfolio, budget range, and location is the most perfect combination we’ve found to hone in on the right fit for your web design project.

Sortfolio deserves a better home

However, we haven’t been able to dedicate many resources towards improving it or promoting it. Our efforts are focused on our products and our Job Board. We believe Sortfolio deserves to thrive, but 37signals is no longer the best home. So we’re looking to sell it to a company that can give Sortfolio — and its customers — the love and attention they deserve.

Revenues and business model

Sortfolio has been holding steady between $17,000-$20,000/month for quite some time now. Paying customers are billed $99/monthly. They can cancel at any time. Free listings are available for all. Currently there are just under 10,000 total accounts, 195 of those are Pro accounts. We’re sure a dedicated sales person could upsell quite a few people.

Futher, the Sortfolio model could expand into a variety of other verticals including photographers, wedding planning, catering, illustrators, artists, etc. I’d love to see a Sortfolio for calligraphy or hand lettering.

Make us an offer

If you’re interested, make us an offer. We’re open to anything as long as it’s cash. We’re not interested in equity. Maybe it’s all cash, maybe it’s cash + royalties on future sales. Who knows. Come at us with something serious and we’ll consider it.

If you’re interested, or have any other questions, please email jason@37signals… We expect to receive a lot of offers, so we won’t be responding to anything we don’t consider a serious offer. We’re serious about selling so please be serious about buying. We’ll help get the word out whenever you are ready to relaunch.

We’re looking for a sixth person to join our Customer Support team. You’ll join Kristin, Michael, Merissa, Ann, and Jason in making our customers happy. This is a world class team of great people.

You’ll provide “it was so good they couldn’t stop talking about it” customer service via email for Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack, and Campfire. You’ll also be responsible for chiming in on 37signals Answers and updating and improving the articles in our help section. We’ll also be exploring phone support and in-person training shortly, so that should be something you’d like to do as well.

You’ll be expected to answer about 75 emails per day once you’re fully up to speed (2-3 months on-ramp). This is a significant volume, so be sure that you’re ready and able to deal with that kind of daily load.

We’re looking for someone who loves to help others, someone who can keep smiling even when dealing with tough customers (empathy is important), and someone who has a passion for our products and company. You should enjoy the process of making an anxious customer a happy customer.

In addition, you have to be an excellent writer who enjoys writing. Our customers love when we get back to them within 10 minutes with a clear, concise, and friendly answer. Great writing is key.

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter explaining:

1. Why you want to work in customer support.
2. Why you want to work at 37signals and not somewhere else.
3. A description of a great customer service/support experience you had recently, and what made it great.

Also, attach the following writing samples:

1. Explain in 3 paragraphs or less why a customer would pick Basecamp vs Highrise.
2. Respond to a customer asking for Gantt charts in Basecamp that it’s not something we offer, but suggest using the Milestone section instead.
3. A company using our job board failed to find to find a suitable candidate and wants a refund. Respond that we don’t offer refunds for job postings.

We offer health-care coverage, a 401K with a generous match, a Flexible Spending Account, plus a progressive work environment. We’d prefer someone in Chicago, but we’re open to hiring the best person no matter where they live. Starting salary is $45k.

Email everything to [email protected]. Include “Customer Support” in the subject line. If you’re attaching a resume, please send it as a PDF. Note: We look favorably on people who get creative with their applications.

We look forward to hearing from you.