Getting Real
Books

Getting Real

The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application. Getting Real is packed with keep-it-simple insights, contrarian points of view, and unconventional approaches to software design. This isn’t a technical book or a design tutorial, it’s a book of ideas. Anyone working on a web app — including entrepreneurs, designers, programmers, executives, or marketers — will find value and inspiration in this book.

I got more out of reading this little e-book than just about any other computer-related book I’ve ever read on any topic that I can possibly think of. Whoa. Jared White
Getting Real is now officially our ‘bible’. Bill Emmack
I can honestly say that this is the first book I’ve read about software development that has been able to reignite my passion for the process. It is an incredible and very relevant book. Thank you guys for publishing it. Anthony Papillion

Full list of essays included

Introduction
What is Getting Real?
About Basecamp
Caveats, disclaimers, and other preemptive strikes
The Starting Line
Build Less
What’s Your Problem?
Fund Yourself
Fix Time and Budget, Flex Scope
Have an Enemy
It Shouldn’t be a Chore
Stay Lean
Less Mass
Lower Your Cost of Change
The Three Musketeers
Embrace Constraints
Be Yourself
Priorities
What’s the big idea?
Ignore Details Early On
It’s a Problem When It’s a Problem
Hire the Right Customers
Scale Later
Make Opinionated Software
Feature Selection
Half, Not Half-Assed
It Just Doesn’t Matter
Start With No
Hidden Costs
Can You Handle It?
Human Solutions
Forget Feature Requests
Hold the Mayo
Process
Race to Running Software
Rinse and Repeat
From Idea to Implementation
Avoid Preferences
“Done!”
Test in the Wild
Shrink Your Time
The Organization
Unity
Alone Time
Meetings Are Toxic
Seek and Celebrate Small Victories
Staffing
Hire Less and Hire Later
Kick the Tires
Actions, Not Words
Get Well Rounded Individuals
You Can’t Fake Enthusiasm
Wordsmiths
Interface Design
Interface First
Epicenter Design
Three State Solution
The Blank Slate
Get Defensive
Context Over Consistency
Copywriting is Interface Design
One Interface
Code
Less Software
Optimize for Happiness
Code Speaks
Manage Debt
Open Doors
Words
There’s Nothing Functional about a Functional Spec
Don’t Do Dead Documents
Tell Me a Quick Story
Use Real Words
Personify Your Product
Pricing and Signup
Free Samples
Easy On, Easy Off
Silly Rabbit, Tricks are for Kids
A Softer Bullet
Promotion
Hollywood Launch
A Powerful Promo Site
Ride the Blog Wave
Solicit Early
Promote Through Education
Feature Food
Track Your Logs
Inline Upsell
Name Hook
Support
Feel The Pain
Zero Training
Answer Quick
Tough Love
In Fine Forum
Publicize Your Screwups
Post-Launch
One Month Tuneup
Keep the Posts Coming
Better, Not Beta
All Bugs Are Not Created Equal
Ride Out the Storm
Keep Up With the Joneses
Beware the Bloat Monster
Go With the Flow

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