Review of Rework by Fried & Heinemeier Hansson

“It's entirely your responsibility to make your dreams come true.” - Rework

Rework is, in their own words, a by-product of Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson's business experience. It carries the Crown Business imprint, but is far more than a book about business philosophy.

Right from the start, the authors explain who this book is for: anyone. Whether you're trying to start a business or you run one already, the ideas presented here are for you. Or maybe you're like me and you're just working on starting something else (writing); you'll get a lot out of it, too.

There are 87 ideas presented in Rework, none of them more than 2 pages long. The authors practiced what they preach and kept things simple and clear. Simplicity is a key idea throughout Rework. Just because something has more bells and whistles doesn't mean it's better. A product should be clear about what it does and it should do it very well. Another idea that stuck out to me was about the “epicenter.” What is the epicenter of your product or project? Sometimes we get sidetracked and lose focus by getting consumed with the peripherals and forget about the main thing. Their example was of a hot dog stand. You can change everything about a hot dog stand, but if you forget the hot dogs, you've made it something else entirely. Another idea, that isn't new but was a good reminder, was about time. Not time management, just time. If you're passionate about starting something, just start it. The perfect time will never arrive; make the time. If you're unable to keep it going, perhaps you're not as passionate about it as you thought.

Regarding the business aspects of the book, the main thrust here is to do away with business-as-usual. The status quo just isn't cutting it anymore. It can adequately maintain a business, but fails at moving it forward. The authors tackle topics that cover a broad range of issues. Bigger isn't always better; as long as your business is profitable, who cares how big it is? They suggest that the prevailing ideas regarding the benefits of meetings are misguided; they are most often harmful and ineffective. They also advise business owners to treat their employees like adults; if you don't trust them, why did you hire them in the first place? At this point, even though I have no intention of starting a small (or large) business, I still enjoyed hearing them and thinking through how I might be able to implement them in my current job.

If you need a bit of inspiration and you're not afraid to hear some straight talk about business and making your dreams come true, Rework is for you.