😓 How’s your work ethic?

Dear 37signals,

My boss is super passionate about our work, which is awesome, but it’s like he’s got a turbo button stuck on “max.” Everything’s “top priority,” and he’s all about those late-night pings, updates and tweaks. You know, the kind where you redo a project midnight because… well, reasons.

He’s really into micromanaging, too. Picture this: changing a single page umpteen times until it’s just so. His heart’s in the right place, aiming for the stars for our clients and all that, but I’m not totally convinced it’s making the magic happen like he thinks it is. He says if I was “fully committed,” I’d act the same way. AITA?

Signed,
— Running on Empty

Dear Empty,

In a word. No.

Hustlemania has captured a monopoly on entrepreneurial inspiration. This endless stream of pump-me-up quotes about working yourself to the bone. It’s time to snap out of it. The hustle may have started as a beacon for those with little to outsmart those with a lot, but now it’s just synonymous with “the grind.” And so many people end up broken and burned out with nothing to show for it.

You aren’t more worthy because you sacrificed everything, because you kept pushing through the pain or drove your team “to the max.”

When management holds up certain people as having a “great work ethic” because they’re always around, always working, that’s a terrible example of a work ethic and a great example of someone who’s overworked.

We can’t do anything about your boss, but equating work ethic with excessive hours isn’t going to get you ahead.

Trust us. It doesn’t have to be crazy at work.

In the meantime, here are a few other things you might have missed…

Thoughts We’ve Shared

A New Take on Platform Preferences

David recently made the switch from Apple to Android and Mac to PC. In this episode of the Rework Podcast, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson discuss the shift in direction, the events that led to the change of platform, and what the company was missing by being focused on the Apple ecosystem.

Avoiding pile-ups

When you work on really long projects, there’s no harm in kicking the can down the line. In other words, when you say “later,” it makes a pile at the end. But, when you work in six week cycles, or relatively short time frames, “later” means something else entirely. There’s no time for later. It’s now or not.
— Jason Fried

Things We’re Excited About

New feature alerts!

Maybe you’re using it as a product roadmap and want to share it with customers. Or perhaps you’d like to give your board members visibility into your progress without bogging them down in the day-to-day details. Now you can make a Card Table public. Plus, we’ve made Bookmarks better than ever. You can bookmark pings and chats, delete old ones in one step, and see bookmarks from archived projects.

Seeing the big picture

Managing multiple projects or teams can be a lot to keep track of. Basecamp has tools to help you get a better handle on all the activity. From the Lineup to Mission Control, Basecamp can help you get an overview of what’s happening.

Until next time,
Elaine, COO of 37signals