David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson (@dhh) is the creator of Ruby on Rails, founder and CTO at Basecamp (formerly 37Signals), and the best-selling co-author of Rework and Remote: Office Not Required. Oh, and he went from not having a driver’s license at 25 to winning, at 34, the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. It is often called the “Grand Prix of endurance and efficiency.”
Listeners had a million questions we didn’t get to last time, so he’s back for round two because his episode is about to cross a million downloads — and that’s in barely two weeks!
In this episode, DHH discusses:
Digital security
The value of schooling
Three questions you should be able to answer
Company culture
How bladder relief happens in a 24-hour race
And much, much more!
Please enjoy my round 2 conversation with DHH!
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear my first episode with David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson? — Listen to this interview, which has already been downloaded almost a million times. In this episode, DHH shares his thoughts on the power of being outspoken, running a profitable business without venture capital, Stoic philosophy, and much more (stream below or right-click here to download):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with DHH:
Website | The Distance Podcast | Twitter | Instagram | Medium | Basecamp | Ruby on Rails
David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken (DHH’s first appearance on this show)
Why Danish Students are Paid to Go to College by Rick Noack, The Washington Post
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by Saul McLeod, Simply Psychology
Unlearn Your MBA — DHH’s talk at Stanford’s Entrepreneur Corner
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM): Education for Global Leadership, US Department of Education
What are Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools?
You’re A Computer. Can You Pass The Turing Test? via ClickHole
Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Employee Benefits at Basecamp by Jason Fried, Signal v. Noise
DHH uses 1Password as his password manager and two-factor authentication wherever possible.
37Signals No More — Changes Name to Basecamp and Drops All Products but Its Namesake by Ben Kepes, Forbes
24 Hours of Le Mans
It might be prudent for race car drivers to bring Anti-Monkey Butt Powder for those long stretches.
Show Notes
What skills are most important today? [05:22]
Will the days of AI (artificial intelligence) writing its own code be a reality soon? [13:49]
Thoughts on creating and maintaining a company culture. [19:13]
How does DHH ensure his own digital security? [26:21]
How (and why) did DHH and Jason Fried make the decision to sell off a lot of 37Signals’ portfolio products and double down on Basecamp? [32:07]
How have DHH and Jason Fried resolved heated disagreements and maintained their thriving partnership for so many years? [40:37]
What DHH has learned about effective parenting and his thoughts on raising a rebel vs. a compliant child. [45:45]
What was DHH’s opinion of himself as a child? [52:51]
How does DHH stay alert during a 24-hour Le Mans race? [57:18]
Does a 24-hour race take bathroom breaks into account? [1:02:56]
People Mentioned
Jason Fried
Colt Heinemeier Hansson
Jamie Heinemeier Hansson