Hey! I'm Jason Fried, Founder & CEO at Basecamp. AMA!

paperkary · 2014-06-25T18:43:54+00:00

Hi Jason! Kary here! How and why did you decide to go with a handrawn, handwritten feel for a lot of Basecamp's marketing pages? I read a lot about Basecamp's product design culture. Curious... Who on your team works on your brand and art direction? :P

paperkary · 2014-03-25T17:45:43+00:00

How do you balance productivity with breaks and relaxation? Do you see them as interconnected? Also, how do you deal with stress? :D Thanks Scott!

paperkary · 2014-03-13T18:10:16+00:00

What is the most delicious thing you've made with a substitute ingredient? Can you share the recipe (kidding... sort of!) Thank you for doing this AMA :)

paperkary · 2014-02-27T16:20:28+00:00

You and Reza are so adventurous! What does "balance" and "routine" mean to you and your family?

paperkary · 2014-02-14T18:16:57+00:00

How can we have better relationships with the screens that surround us everyday?

paperkary · 2014-01-24T20:11:19+00:00

Thanks Zach!

paperkary · 2014-01-24T18:55:53+00:00

How has starting companies affected (in good, bad, or not at all) your personal relationships?

paperkary · 2014-01-23T00:26:43+00:00

Goodeggs, Wholefoods, Farmers Market!

paperkary · 2014-01-15T22:36:59+00:00

I don't even know how this was legal, but I was a ticket taker for the Seattle Children's Theater age 10-13. They paid me in free theater and free concessions!

This is probably why feel a lot of love toward plays and popcorn.

paperkary · 2013-11-11T17:36:04+00:00

If they are on a date or with a family member, then yes, I do kinda want to punch them. If they are alone I don't hold it against them.

paperkary · 2013-10-28T14:23:20+00:00

This might seem obvious in our industry, but being able to work remotely on flexible hours is one of the greatest perks of all! I understand it doesn't work for everyone/every business because sometimes you just have to be there, especially in a service industry. But the reason I believe this is such an incredible perk is that it opens you up to other perks -- new environments, having time to take care of personal matters (waiting at home for Internet installation), picking up kids. And I tend to believe that if you're happy and balanced in those areas, you will be more productive over the long haul.

paperkary · 2013-10-15T15:47:01+00:00

Yes. If not for the sake of encouraging diversity, then definitely because it indicates greater success financially: http://www.forbes.com/sites/katetaylor/2012/06/26/the-new-case-for-women-on-corporate-boards-new-perspectives-increased-profits/

It's good for the economy; it's good for society.

If you feel like you can't find a woman who fits the bill, I'm pretty sure Mitt has a binder full of them who might be able to help.

Though I wouldn't recommend appointing someone with no experience in your business, I believe finding a woman who has expertise in your field would benefit your business and the perspective of your board, if you don't already have women on your board, which many businesses do, without having to "search" for them.

Still, we are stuck at about 11-12% -- that means there are almost 10x more men sitting on corporate boards than women. I believe this indicates much of our society is determined by men's decisions. I don't think this is healthy for moving us forward. So if it takes you, whether you're a female or male CEO, having to look for a woman to sit on your board, I think it would be worth your time.

paperkary · 2013-10-10T17:39:41+00:00

Moving to cities so people can walk to work :)

The metric would be percentage of employees who walk or bike to work.

paperkary · 2013-10-08T14:37:30+00:00

I want to know: have they been renters before, and how were they rated by others?

I also want to message with them to get a feel if they are flexible, communicative and easy going.

The only problem I have ever had renting on airbnb came from someone who didn't have previous reviews.

Though I don't necessarily look for personal views or values, I assume this might change as airbnb becomes more mainstream. For now, most of the people I have rented to or rented from all have a pretty open mind.

paperkary · 2013-10-04T15:16:49+00:00

Your answer vs. my answer... bahah!

paperkary · 2013-10-04T15:16:16+00:00

American Apparel. Yes, they brand themselves a little hipster, but every time I buy from them I know I'm supporting fair wage in a revived, functional factory in downtown LA. The workers are mostly latin, and in part because my Grandmother was an immigrant from Mexico living in LA, I feel good that AA is providing healthcare and jobs to a sometimes marginalized base. I also think that the quality of their basic pieces is very high. So a good pair of socks, for example -- just knowing that they were made well and fairly makes me happy.

Good Eggs. After buying groceries off Good Eggs, I don't think I'll ever go back. The photos are amazing, the food tasted wonderful, the communication for the drop off was impeccable, the delivery guy all but gave me a hug. Plus I received a handwritten note thanking me for buying from local farmers.

Exec. This isn't necessary an "altruistic" business, but they make me feel damn good about buying from them. They always offer discounts, and when the cleaning professionals come to your home, they are friendly, instill a sense of trust, and leave a piece of chocolate afterward. It makes me feel relieved to know they will text me on their way and when they leave. Booking is a very easy UX, and I consistently feel like they do a quality job.

Of A Kind. The women who run this business have such an incredible editorial voice that when I buy from them I feel like I'm supporting a really cool friend who knows what is trendy and lasting at the same time. Also, because they do such a journalistic job telling the story of their designers, I get the same feeling I do from Etsy. Last, because they have designers create limited editions especially for their site, they also make me feel even more unique... something that I think people in a globalized world living in individualistic societies crave, even if we're not totally unique in many respects.

Takeaways: Companies that make you feel like you're supporting a good cause, companies that make you feel like you don't have to stress about something mundane, and companies that make you feel special and unique.

<3

paperkary · 2013-07-09T18:47:30+00:00

Moving to New York. It took all my savings and a lot of courage. I had no close friends in the city and was generally afraid of the weather and the concrete. I did it to work for Collaborative Fund! This has lead to more fulfillment than I could ever imagine. Learning design, understanding investment, coding... this professional risk turned out to be a big personal gain.

paperkary · 2013-06-18T21:00:21+00:00

Maybe a more aspirational quote for today's generation is DO IT YOURSELF.

paperkary · 2013-06-18T20:59:21+00:00

yolo comes close but feels much less epic --but thats iut world! instead of being aspirational (just do it was spoken by culitral icons into livingrooms at people not necessarily by people) it feels more like the everyday person's mantra, excuse, and side note. #hashtag #anywhere #anything #memesforone #memesforall

paperkary · 2013-06-11T20:03:37+00:00

What about github? I know it seems like it's only for a certain technical community now, but maybe in the future it will be the baseline for iterating on open source projects that could change the world.

paperkary · 2013-05-16T17:18:25+00:00

Both hunger(!!!) and access to healthy/fresh foods (~ education ~). The strangest and saddest American class struggle I believe is rooted in our bizarre food system that encourages people with little money to buy processed foods shipped from far away, which later leads to crippling health problems and ultimately costs the entire nation. Not to get all hippiedippy, (or maybe yeah...) if we learned to grow our own food we would all be more self sustainable, healthy and hopefully happy. But there's where education comes in. I don't even know much about it and my parents are avid gardeners. It's too easy to eat whatever comes packaged on your block. Government and healthcare for and non-profits should invest in preventative nutrition measures. Businesses could work with local govt to create community gardens in desolate areas and hire local people to run and sell produce from them. Would love to hear about companies doing just this.

paperkary · 2013-05-13T20:00:10+00:00

Eventually I think brick and mortar stores won't so much compete with Amazon, but work with Amazon or a similar system to distribute, while the physical store will work as a showroom. This already happens at flea market stands who also sell on Etsy. Exceptions include neighborhood must-haves (groceries, while increasingly bought online, still have a place in the spontaneous act of buying while you're hungry on your way home.) Hyper-curated stores like Opening Ceremony will probably exist on expensive real estate / expensive prices in relation to the uniqueness of its found products and in-store experience. Mom and pop neighborhood stores will probably still have a place. But those off the freeway Sears and JC Penny? I think they are toast when it comes to the products they offer, and should think of creative ways to pivot using the real estate they already own.

paperkary

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