Getting Real
Here are the 16 chapters and 91 essays that make up the book.
Introduction chapter 1
- What is Getting Real?
A smaller, faster, better way to build software
- About 37signals
Our small team creates simple, focused software
- Caveats, disclaimers, and other preemptive strikes
Responses to some complaints we hear
The Starting Line chapter 2
- Build Less
Underdo your competition
- What's Your Problem?
Build software for yourself
- Fund Yourself
Outside money is plan B
- Fix Time and Budget, Flex Scope
Launch on time and on budget
- Have an Enemy
Pick a fight
- It Shouldn't be a Chore
Your passion — or lack of — will shine through
Stay Lean chapter 3
- Less Mass
The leaner you are, the easier it is to change
- Lower Your Cost of Change
Stay flexible by reducing obstacles to change
- The Three Musketeers
Use a team of three for version 1.0
- Embrace Constraints
Let limitations guide you to creative solutions
- Be Yourself
Differentiate yourself from bigger companies by being personal and friendly
Priorities chapter 4
- What's the big idea?
Explicitly define the one-point vision for your app
- Ignore Details Early On
Work from large to small
- It's a Problem When It's a Problem
Don't waste time on problems you don't have yet
- Hire the Right Customers
Find the core market for your application and focus solely on them
- Scale Later
You don't have a scaling problem yet
- Make Opinionated Software
Your app should take sides
Feature Selection chapter 5
- Half, Not Half-Assed
Build half a product, not a half-ass product
- It Just Doesn't Matter
Essentials only
- Start With No
Make features work hard to be implemented
- Hidden Costs
Expose the price of new features
- Can You Handle It?
Build something you can manage
- Human Solutions
Build software for general concepts and encourage people to create their own solutions
- Forget Feature Requests
Let your customers remind you what's important
- Hold the Mayo
Ask people what they don't want
Process chapter 6
- Race to Running Software
Get something real up and running quickly
- Rinse and Repeat
Work in iterations
- From Idea to Implementation
Go from brainstorm to sketches to HTML to coding
- Avoid Preferences
Decide the little details so your customers don't have to
- "Done!"
Decisions are temporary so make the call and move on
- Test in the Wild
Test your app via real world usage
- Shrink Your Time
Break it down
The Organization chapter 7
- Unity
Don't split into silos
- Alone Time
People need uninterrupted time to get things done
- Meetings Are Toxic
Don't have meetings
- Seek and Celebrate Small Victories
Release something today
Staffing chapter 8
- Hire Less and Hire Later
Add slow to go fast
- Kick the Tires
Work with prospective employees on a test-basis first
- Actions, Not Words
Judge potential tech hires on open source contributions
- Get Well Rounded Individuals
Go for quick learning generalists over ingrained specialists
- You Can't Fake Enthusiasm
Go for happy and average over frustrated and great
- Wordsmiths
Hire good writers
Interface Design chapter 9
- Interface First
Design the interface before you start programming
- Epicenter Design
Start from the core of the page and build outward
- Three State Solution
Design for regular, blank, and error states
- The Blank Slate
Set expectations with a thoughtful first-run experience
- Get Defensive
Design for when things go wrong
- Context Over Consistency
What makes sense here may not make sense there
- Copywriting is Interface Design
Every letter matters
- One Interface
Incorporate admin functions into the public interface
Code chapter 10
- Less Software
Keep your code as simple as possible
- Optimize for Happiness
Choose tools that keep your team excited and motivated
- Code Speaks
Listen when your code pushes back
- Manage Debt
Pay off your code and design "bills"
- Open Doors
Get data out into the world via RSS, APIs, etc.
Words chapter 11
- There's Nothing Functional about a Functional Spec
Don't write a functional specifications document
- Don't Do Dead Documents
Eliminate unnecessary paperwork
- Tell Me a Quick Story
Write stories, not details
- Use Real Words
Insert actual text instead of lorem ipsum
- Personify Your Product
What is your product's personality type?
Pricing and Signup chapter 12
- Free Samples
Give something away for free
- Easy On, Easy Off
Make signup and cancellation a painless process
- Silly Rabbit, Tricks are for Kids
Avoid long-term contracts, sign-up fees, etc.
- A Softer Bullet
Soften the blow of bad news with advance notice and grandfather clauses
Promotion chapter 13
- Hollywood Launch
Go from teaser to preview to launch
- A Powerful Promo Site
Build an ace promotional site that introduces people to your product
- Ride the Blog Wave
Blogging can be more effective than advertising (and it's a hell of a lot cheaper)
- Solicit Early
Get advance buzz and signups going ASAP
- Promote Through Education
Share your knowledge with the world
- Feature Food
They're hungry for it so serve it up
- Track Your Logs
Study your logs to track buzz
- Inline Upsell
Promote upgrade opportunities inside the app
- Name Hook
Give your app a name that's easy to remember
Support chapter 14
- Feel The Pain
Tear down the walls between support and development
- Zero Training
Use inline help and FAQs so your product doesn't require a manual or training
- Answer Quick
Quick turnaround time on support queries should be a top priority
- Tough Love
Be willing to say no to your customers
- In Fine Forum
Use forums or chat to let customers help each other
- Publicize Your Screwups
Get bad news out there and out of the way
Post-Launch chapter 15
- One Month Tuneup
Issue a major update 30 days after launch
- Keep the Posts Coming
Show your product is alive by keeping an ongoing product development blog post-launch
- Better, Not Beta
Don't use "beta" as a scapegoat
- All Bugs Are Not Created Equal
Prioritize your bugs (and even ignore some of them)
- Ride Out the Storm
Wait until knee-jerk reactions to changes die down before taking action
- Keep Up With the Joneses
Subscribe to news feeds about your competitors
- Beware the Bloat Monster
More mature doesn't have to mean more complicated
- Go With the Flow
Be open to new paths and changes in direction
Conclusion chapter 16
- Start Your Engines
A few closing thoughts
- 37signals Resources
