Rework

Who needs a fancy office when you can work out of a dingy food court? Who needs fancy equipment when you can buy what you need at Walmart? Who needs to hire an SEO specialist? What does an SEO specialist do, anyway? (A question for another episode, or maybe another podcast altogether.) On this episode, three very different companies—a fashion brand, a company that sells fresh salads from vending machines, and an auto detailing shop—discuss their humble beginnings and offer practical advice about being resourceful and staying lean.

Do you struggle with finding the right podcast? Are you tired of true crime shows and hosts trying to sell you a mattress? Introducing Rework, a podcast that's free of both murder and midroll ads. When you listen to this episode of Rework, you'll learn the fascinating history of infomercials and hear sales tips from experts like the marketing guru who made the Thighmaster a '90s sensation. But wait, there's more! Stick around after the episode to hear Wailin explain the premise of Three's Company to Shaun. Subscribe to Rework today!

Alison Green of Ask A Manager, whom we featured in our previous episode, gives her advice on a couple of questions too. Topics covered:Communicating changes in a corporate culture when the workforce is remote (0:40)Being transparent about why a change is made when the news is unequivocally negative (3:25)Setting up a system where conflicts and problems can be escalated and resolved (9:28)Managing feelings of loneliness and isolation as a remote worker (12:15)If you'd like to submit a question for Jason and David to answer on a future mailbag episode, call us at (708) 628-7850 or email us at hello@rework.fm.

Alison's new book, Ask A ManagerAsk A Manager's TwitterAsk A Manager podcastAlison's crossover episode on the Captain Awkward podcastHow can I recover from being embarrassingly drunk at a work event?My employee sent a memo to management about ghosts in the buildingAn employee is putting magical curses on her coworkersI ghosted my ex, and she's about to be my new bossUpdate on the ghosting ex

A video of this discussion is also available.We're still taking your calls for an upcoming mailbag episode where Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson will answer your questions about workplace communication. We're also bringing in a special guest, Alison Green of Ask A Manager, to give advice! Call us at (708) 628-7850 or email us at hello@rework.fm.Further Reading:Dean Carter on Patagonia's family-affirming policies.The President Stole Your Land, Patagonia's campaign against the Trump administration's move to shrink Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah.2016 article in Outside about Patagonia donating all of its Black Friday sales to environmental groups.The Obama Foundation's 2018 Fellows.Culturati Summit.The Culture Book, Culturati's "practical guide to building incredible company cultures."

Chris Ruder, the CEO of Spikeball, shares a story about meeting Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban at a bar and committing a photo faux pas (a faux-to pas?), a year before he taped his Shark Tank appearance.

This episode features:Melissa Butler of The Lip Bar, a company that makes vegan and cruelty-free lipstick in vibrant shades that work on a broad range of skin tones. Watch a clip of their episode.Chris Ruder of Spikeball, the maker of a game that's a mix of volleyball and four square. Ruder played Spikeball as a child and later revived the brand after it had become obsolete.Joe Moore of First Defense Nasal Screens, which patented an adhesive filter that sticks on top of the nostrils to prevent allergens from entering the body.A friendly reminder that we are collecting your workplace communication questions for Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. If you're seeking advice on how to talk to your boss, your employee, or a colleague, leave us a voicemail at (708) 628-7850 or email us at hello@rework.fm.

"You know I try, but I don't do too well with apologies," Justin Bieber once sang. You're not the only one with this problem, Justin! Why is saying sorry so difficult, especially for businesses? In this episode: A veteran tracker of apologies looks at what's changed (and what hasn't) in public apology culture; Basecamp co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson recounts a time when the company had to say sorry; and two founders make a product to help tech companies apologize to their customers.

Jason Fried talks about designing an alternative to Basecamp's Applause feature that is subtle yet expressive, and distinct from the kinds of reactions and feedback mechanisms used on social media platforms. (If you missed our previous episode on the debate over the Applause feature, go back and listen!)

At Basecamp, we're in the midst of a debate over an Applause feature that was designed to improve communication but might be stoking unwanted anxiety. In this episode, CTO David Heinemeier Hansson and iOS designer Tara Mann present different sides of the Applause debate and explore the ways behavior patterns in social media are trickling into the workplace. We also look at how world-famous pianist Glenn Gould challenged norms around performance, audiences, and applause.

Dan Miller of Mulberrys Garment Care talks outsourcing, bootstrapping, and growing slowly in some leftover bits we couldn't quite fit into episode 14.

You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll gnash your teeth in recognition as you hear the stories of horrible meetings we collected for this episode. Meetings are one of the worst kinds of workplace interruptions. They're held too frequently, run too long, and involve more people than necessary. Also in this episode: A Basecamp programmer gives advice on rethinking the culture of meetings and the story of one very cringeworthy meeting with a surprising outcome.

Hey, are you busy? Can you listen to this real quick? It's an episode about interruptions in the workplace. You'll hear from academic researchers, Basecamp's head data wrangler, and the CEO of a remote company about how they've tackled not just the disruptions themselves, but also the workplace culture that allows those intrusions to flourish.

Special bonus episode where Jason Fried discusses some of the thinking that goes into making a very small change to the to-do feature in Basecamp.

Hey, are you crushing it? It seems like everyone is constantly crushing it in the business world. But maybe it would be better if we were honest about our flaws, talked like ourselves, and aimed to be genuine instead of super polished. In this episode: A Basecamp customer support representative shares tips on writing emails like a real human being; an inherently artificial industry gets a dose of reality; and two startup founders try an experiment in radical transparency to save their business.

For more details, read his blog post about it: https://www.fredperrotta.com/i-fucked-up/

New year, new you! If you started 2018 with an idea for a product, business, or creative pursuit, now is the time to start making something. In this episode: A tabletop game designer finds that sometimes, all you need to get going is a pack of index cards and a pencil; a skincare blogger tries her hand at DIY and ends up with a cult hit; and a travel backpack company's first attempt at making something goes comically awry.

If you'd like your questions answered on a future mailbag episode leave a message at 708.628.7850.

If you'd like your questions answered on a future mailbag episode, leave us a message at 708-628-7850.

Basecamp's founders never wrote a business plan when they started the company. Even today, they don't like to look too far ahead. Too much long-term planning can hamper your ability to react to the present. Did you have plans to listen to this episode later? Be spontaneous and listen now! You'll hear from a seasoned investor on how he came to run one of the oldest vinyl record pressing plants in the U.S.; Basecamp CEO Jason Fried on working in six-week cycles; and an independent toy store owner on surviving the holidays without giving into fads.