Jason Fried is a legend of business. He’s published 4 books and 1,000s of blog posts and built a massively profitable software business his own way. How does he write? This interview is a 91-minute answer to that question. Here’s his method: 1. Don’t write, communicate. 2. If you’re writing and not feeling the flow, close the computer and walk away. Don’t struggle. 3. Jason’s best writing just flows out. There are no drafts. He gets the whole thing on paper in one sitting, then goes back to edit and play around with it. 4. How do you know when you’ve found a good idea? Well, you don’t know. You feel. You give in to your intuition, tune into your senses, and notice goosebumps. Follow those things. Good ideas are like slipstreams - they have their own effortless, accelerated pull. 5. You need a point of view. Something you stand for. Something you believe that others don’t. Something you see that others are blind to. That’s the writing that spreads and makes a difference. 6. Good writing has rhythm. It flows, it bounces, it brings the reader from one word to the next, then the next. 7. Focusing on attention at the expense of writing something of quality is a Faustian bargain. Jason says: “In the same way that sound isn’t music, traffic isn’t audience.” 8. If Jason could teach any writing class, he’d focus on distillation. He’d ask students to explain something in five pages, then one page, then one paragraph, then one sentence, then one snappy phrase. This would teach students to find the essence of what they’re saying. 9. Sometimes, it’s okay to be detached from your industry. Jason doesn’t read industry news and built his software company in Chicago, not Silicon Valley. That detachment gives him a point of view. 10. Murakami once wrote: “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” 11. Writing is the first filter he uses in the hiring process because he doesn’t look at resumes. Only cover letters. 12. Why is writing quality so important to him? He says: “Business writing isn’t about beauty or eloquence. It’s about clarity of thought. To write is to scale your thinking. And the better you write, the further your ideas spread, which is why good writers make the whole team smarter. When choosing between two people, hire the better writer.” 13. Jason’s tip for overcoming writer’s block: Don’t write, speak. Chances are, you won’t have a problem explaining what you’re trying to say out loud. So do that. Then write it down. 14. Writing prompt: Where are you the most unconventional in how you do things? Write about that. 15. Jason’s marketing strategy has been to share without expectation of return - books, blog posts, podcasts, design reviews, code reviews, and the ins-and-outs of how he runs his business. 16. Jason has time to write because he insists on an open calendar. That gives him time to walk, think, and follow his creative whims. He has no set writing schedule.
@aliabdaal5 ай бұрын
Absolutely phenomenal episode guys ❤❤
@hindenburg20065 ай бұрын
37:20 I don't think a lot of companies have anything to SAY; they have a lot to SELL. THAT could be an entire essay by itself💚
@robleon5 ай бұрын
That last segment with the drum analogy is exactly why I love Jason's work so much. Thanks so much for having him on the show!
@jessehepburn5 ай бұрын
Came here after watching his interview on My First Million. David is by far one of the best interviewers I’ve ever seen. Every guest looks like an absolute rockstar.
@StrategicStripping5 ай бұрын
I really liked Jason's chill baseline of if it's too hard, start over, this shouldn't be miserable. lol... also that if you're having a hard time writing it, just say it, and then write that. I know what he means about when I go back to edit, I just make it longer and more complicated when I'm trying to make it clearer or easier to understand... I should have just stuck with V1, and sometimes deleting just isn't the answer. Starting over, is. Write to people, for people 👌🏼 I really love your podcast, David. You're a great host, ask great and well timed questions, you don't cut your guests off, your guests have all been awesome, super insightful, and the entire interview (of every one I've seen/heard) is pleasant to listen to the whole way through. Thanks for making these. By the way, this was a fun visual 19:41 lol
@naturehuman5 ай бұрын
I'm 10 minutes in and this is already the best interview I've listened to in months.
@jessehepburn5 ай бұрын
Jason Fried’s bit about Basecamp’s long form writing filter 🔥 Heartbeats are a must-have in any large organization. Ideas should be judged on their merits alone - not politics.
@fabianschwarzfritz3 ай бұрын
This format is what I always looked for! Short analysis of texts of people I admire!
@Met_Ethio5 ай бұрын
Heavy hitters after heavy hitters. David doesn't miss.
@leadgenjay5 ай бұрын
Jason Fried's approach to business writing is refreshing
@jamesowen75435 ай бұрын
Came across this channel a week or so ago... and it is eliiiiiite
@joshmay95315 ай бұрын
This video should have 500k+ views. Great stuff David and Jason!
@EcomCarl5 ай бұрын
Jason insights on writing as an elegant, clear communication tool are invaluable. Embracing natural flow and the art of concise expression can significantly enhance our ability to connect and convey complex ideas effectively. 🖋
@kahdri5 ай бұрын
Amazing episode. It's always so enlightening to hear from Jason and his beliefs
@sultanalshirah5 ай бұрын
His book was my first audiobook to finish and repeat multiple times.
@syedahafsa30625 ай бұрын
Name of the book?
@sultanalshirah5 ай бұрын
@@syedahafsa3062 Rework
@sultanalshirah5 ай бұрын
@@syedahafsa3062Rework
@alexhartan5 ай бұрын
Yess! I liked this before watching it. Jason is a LEGEND
@abbeyalgiersPR5 ай бұрын
What an awesome talk about writing- thank you! So helpful!
@JeevSen5 ай бұрын
The sound is incredibly crisp and frankly, incredible, and yet I don't see any lapel mics. What did you use for microphones? Or was more post production?
@DavidPerellChannel5 ай бұрын
We have lapel mics under the shirt and overhead microphones that we clip out in post production… it’s a neat little trick
@iLoveWriting3655 ай бұрын
Excited for this - Jason is great - watching now!
@Soccolich5 ай бұрын
Nice, Jason is the best!
@anaghnair5 ай бұрын
Are you dropping the episode with sam altman soon?
@Torymorgan95 ай бұрын
Love a good football analogy 😊
@coreys-dev5 ай бұрын
My two coaches in one room! ha
@eshwarnag5 ай бұрын
At around 1:15:00, I don’t know how many of you have observed the deep irony in what he says. He says for those struggle with writing, he would ask them to speak and they would do a better job and he agrees that most people can speak naturally and yet he claims that writing is more important?
@oakwood37455 ай бұрын
Can anyone tell me what watch Jason is wearing? Looks like a white-dial speedmaster, but can't tell
@37signals5 ай бұрын
You nailed it, good eye. It's the new white dial Speedmaster. -JF
@yp53875 ай бұрын
22:55 Isn't it exact opposite of basecamp philosophy?
@sultanalshirah5 ай бұрын
First
@sultanalshirah5 ай бұрын
Bad choice of picture. He looks like a psychopath with that smile.