37 Signals has recently published Rework, a collection of essays that review and reassess — rework — and debunk business myths. They challenge new ways of interpreting paths to success and the value add. Here are the titles of some of their essays. They’re like Jenny Holzer’s Truisms, turned anti-matter business mantras.
These essay titles are also a kick-butt version of inspiration cards: Reflect on a different one daily, group them into logical sets, separate the pile into those that are already who you are — they’re great for vision statements and other anchor points — and those that will ‘never be’. Then, transform the never nevers into fiction: turn the list into meeting themes, program them into LED displays, turn them into poster-sized floor stickers, use them as T-Shirt slogans, guess what you think they mean and then find a point of difference with the book … let them help you rework your corporate strategy.
November is storytelling month (nanowrimo). Use these rework manifestos to craft a new story for your business, or for yourself.
| ASAP is poison | Be a curator | Be at-home good |
| Build an audience | Build half, not half-ass | Building to flip is building to flop |
| Decisions are temporary | Decommoditize your product | Do it yourself first |
| Don’t confuse enthusiasm with priority | Don’t write it down | Don’t be a hero |
| Don’t copy | Draw a line in the sand | Embrace constraints |
| Emulate chefs | Focus on what won’t change | Forget about formal education |
| Forget about the Wall Street Journal | Go behind the scenes | Go to sleep |
| Good enough is fine | Hire great writers | Hire managers of one |
| Hire when it hurts | Ignore the details early on | Ignore the real world |
| Inspiration is perishable | Interruption is the enemy of productivity | Learning from mistakes is overrated |
| Let your customers outgrow you | Long lists don’t get done | Make a dent in the universe |
| Make tiny decisions | Making the call is making progress | Marketing is not a department |
| Meetings are toxic | No time is no excuse | Out-teach your competition |
| Own your bad news | Pass on great people | Pick a fight |
| Planning is guessing | Press releases are spam | Put everyone on the front lines |
| Say no by default | Scratch your own itch | Sell your by-products |
| Send people home at 5:00 | Skip the rock stars | Sound like you |
| Start a business, not a start-up | Start at the epicenter | Start making something |
| Take a deep breath | Test-drive employees | Throw less at the problem |
| Tone is in your fingers | Underdo your competition | Welcome obscurity |
| You don’t create a culture | You need less than you think | Your estimates suck |