Yesterday when I wrote about creating 37signals apps for free, I knew I should’ve went with some generic company instead, but I thought a specific example would help everyone reading. However, if you mention 37signals and you don’t praise them to the high heavens there is a good chance a large number of people will misinterpret what you are trying to say and put their own spin on it and attack you back, even though you weren’t attacking them in the first place.
I use Basecamp every once in a while, but I haven’t dived into their other offerings because for now I don’t have a need. I love that the little company made it big. Great inspiration can be found in their story and I think I have said all of this fluff before anyways. In any case I thought I would highlight some of the great comments left yesterday to show how far and wide people can take a discussion. Remember it’s best to read most of these in the comments since some of the logic might be taken out of context.
No, I don’t think 37s would be even remotely worried about a free competitor to any of their products — it just doesn’t make sense.
Why wouldn’t any company worry about a free competitor?
Also, companies turn deaf to using something like Basecamp, no matter how good it is, due to privacy concerns and the fact that their data is hosted on a service based site and not on their own i.e., Corporation paranoia.
Which was one of my points.
Yeah, right. Why just can Sony, Createive and others just get togather and produce an iPod killer over a weekend – that thing is so simple.
I still don’t get, why are you obsessed with 37S…
Why be copycats when you can go and create something different and still great. Or can you?
Because the iPod is iTunes, Apple and status icon.
Wow, lots of ignorance on display here today. No, you can’t whip up Basecamp in a weekend. Go ahead, try. You’re in for a much needed reality check.
Ummm, okay…
Basecamp is great because the team that built it is truly talented. Truly talented people will rarely settle for just copying someone else’s work and releasing it as their own, which is why most copies suck compared to their originals. But, if you can find a talented team that is willing to settle for copying someone else’s work instead of coming up with something of their own… well, then that team is probably not as talented as you think.
An obvious point.
Then when you get to comment #33 you finally find someone who understands where I coming from…sort of..
When I read the post by Scrivs, I have to say I agreed. I like 37s and their products, and I respect what they are trying to do. I can understand why 37s have such an amazing following. However, I understand that 37s have put themselves in a pretty vulnerable position. What they have created is a suite of products which, to be fair, are pretty simple and straightforward. Replicating them now could be done pretty quickly and easily. Not that anyone would want to simply replicate what they have done, but it is possible. And I think what Scrivs is saying is that, in order to hold their position, 37s are going to have to work.
I was waiting for something like this…
Does your desire to put them out of business have anything to do with the fact that 9rules has been a complete and utter failure?
I can’t remember me ever saying or even thinking I want to put 37signals out of business because you know the best way to put them out of business is to start a content network that has nothing to do with what they are doing…
You couldn’t just copy a product, slap another name on it, put them out of business, and expect them to not sue you. Also, , its not just the products, guys. These guys have a huge influence on every piece of development going right now.
Wasn’t sure how to respond to that one.
Overall though if you could filter through the noise, it was a great discussion and I think both sides brought a great number of valuable points which hopefully I can summarize tomorrow. For now I just wanted to show you that if you don’t have a thick skin, don’t say anything about a company as great as 37signals. And yes I do think they are great.
Originally posted on April 6, 2006 @ 9:09 pm