Jason Fried

Founder & CEO at 37signals (makers of Basecamp and HEY). Non-serial entrepreneur, serial author (Getting Real, REWORK, REMOTE, It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work). Email me at jason@hey.com.

Co-founder & CEO

THE BIG REGRESSION

My folks are in town visiting us for a couple months so we rented them a house nearby.

It’s new construction. It’s amped up with state of the art systems. The ones with touchscreens of various sizes, IoT appliances, and interfaces on everything.

And it’s terrible. What a regression.

The lights are powered by Control4. They require a demo to understand how to use the switches, understand which ones control what, and to be sure not to hit THAT ONE because it’ll turn off all the lights in the house when you didn’t mean to. Worse.

The TV is the latest Samsung which has a baffling UI just to watch CNN. My parents aren’t idiots, but definitely feel like they’re missing something obvious. They aren’t — TVs have simply gotten worse. You don’t turn them on, you boot them up.

The new Miele dishwasher wouldn’t even operate the first time without connecting it to an app. This meant another call to the house manager to have them install an app they didn’t know they needed either. An app to clean some peanut butter off a plate? For serious? Worse.

Thermostats... Nest would have been fine, but these other proprietary ones from some other company trying to be Nest-like are baffling. Round touchscreens that take you into a dark labyrinth of options just to be sure it’s set at 68. Or is it 68 now? Or is that what we want it at, but it’s at 72? Wait... What? Which number is this? Worse.

The alarm system is essentially a 10” iPad bolted to the wall that has the fucking weather forecast on it. And it's so bright! I’m sure there’s a way to turn that off, but then the screen would be filled with the news instead. Why isn't this just the alarm? Worse.

And there's lag and delay everywhere. Everything feels a beat or two behind. Lag is the giveaway that the system is working too hard for too little.

Now look... I’m no luddite. But this experience is close to conversion therapy. Tech can make things better, but not here. I’ve heard the pitches — you can set up scenes so one button can change EVERYTHING. Not buying it. It actually feels primitive, like we haven’t figured out how to make things easy yet. That some breakthrough will eventually come when you can simply knock a switch up or down and it’ll all makes sense.

It’s really the contrast that makes it alarming. We just got back from a vacation in Montana. Rented a house there. They did have a fancy TV — seems those can’t be avoided these days — but everything else was old school and clear. Physical up/down light switches in the right places. Appliances without the internet. Buttons with depth and physically-confirmed state change rather than surfaces that don’t obviously register your choice. More traditional round rotating Honeywell thermostats that are just clear and obvious. No tours, no instructions, no questions, no fearing you’re going to do something wrong, no wondering how something works. Useful and universally clear. That’s human, that’s modern.

AGAIN?

When we measure things, answers usually come as numbers. But there’s a different kind of measurement I have in mind most of the time.

It’s a simple, one-word question: Again?

You can go through rigorous employee performance reviews to try to decide if someone’s doing their job well, or you can simply ask “Knowing what we know now, would we hire this person AGAIN?”

You can load up the calendar with postmortems and data analysis sessions, or you can simply ask “Would we want to do that AGAIN?”

You can attempt to justify to yourself why something made sense on paper, or you can simply ask “Would I make that decision AGAIN?”

Do I want to work with this team AGAIN? Would I want to work at this company AGAIN? Would I want to work on this project or product AGAIN? Would I want to visit this city AGAIN?

At this point, I quietly ask myself “Again?” all the time. When things go right, when things go wrong, when I’m not even sure which way they’ve gone, I’ll ask myself “Again?” The answer is obvious.

What’s great about this is that things that would objectively measure as “wrong” can be absolutely worth it when you ask the question “Again?” With again, you aren’t just measuring outcome, you’re also measuring experience. Experience contains outcome, and a whole lot more.

Maybe that was a flop commercially, but it was worth it broadly, so yes, I’d still do it all over again. Or, wow, that was a smashing success but it really beat me down... Would I do it again? “No” is perfectly valid, and correct, in that case.

Asking “Again?” is one of the simplest things you can do, and it’ll mine some of the richest answers you’ll find. It tells the whole truth in a way that numbers never do.

The original Cuisinart was peak interface/appliance design.

Two perfect paddle buttons.

One for ON that catches and stays down for continual operation.

And one for PULSE/OFF that does exactly what it says. It doesn't stay down, it returns to reset when you let go. Hold it down as long as you want to pulse. Let go and it stops. Or just push it down to disengage ON, and turn it off.

The description may sound a bit convoluted because of the dual purpose PULSE/OFF button, but when you use it it's absolutely obvious. And couldn't be better.

Big flat toggle buttons under satisfying tension. Clear affordances. You push them down, not in. One click catches, one doesn't. You can use them with bare hands, oven mitts, fingers coated in slippery whatever. Doesn't matter. Plenty of surface area.

Outstanding design. It's been all downhill from there.

ANYTHING DESIGNERS

Do designers like Raymond Lowey or Henry Dreyfus exist anymore? Designers who can design anything?

These guys designed locomotives, thermostats, telephones, buildings, ocean liners, company logos, typewriters, vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, product packaging, cars, bottles, aircraft interiors, livery, stamps, radios, tractors, even space station interiors!

The depth, breadth, quality, and taste of their work is astonishing. Where are these people today? Who are these people today? Who's working across so many different industries, mediums, product types, and categories at such a high level?

https://lnkd.in/gKC2UYFt
https://lnkd.in/gd5G-PSJ

What's your longest software relationship?

Basecamp and I have been together since 2008. We've never even discussed seeing other project management tools.

It helped me win student body president at Northwestern. I launched the very first coding bootcamp with it and orchestrated a Chicago mayoral campaign on it. It powered every course I've taught, and every Techstars program I've managed. Now it's how we run customer discovery at Shokuna, with some AI automations I've wired up on top of it.

37signals has been building for the web since 1999. They launched Basecamp  in 2004. And now I'm watching Jason tease "Basecamp 5" like it's a Marvel post-credits scene.

So now I'm curious: What software has actually stuck for you? Not what IT force-fed you - what you chose, kept choosing, and would mass-email your complaints about if they ever killed it?

Dyson

After thirteen successful years driving digital transformation at Roche, the role at Dyson presented an opportunity to shape digital strategy within global supply chain operations. As Senior Portfolio Manager for Digital Transformation, the position focused on aligning supply chain initiatives with strategic objectives while establishing value-based frameworks for initiative selection and resource optimisation.

Key initiatives included developing transparent performance metrics and implementing structured decision-making processes for supply chain transformation projects. Despite the brief tenure due to organisational restructuring that impacted many positions including the digital transformation department, the role demonstrated the importance of agile portfolio management in rapidly evolving business environments.

The experience highlighted how effective portfolio management remains crucial even during periods of strategic shifts, requiring both resilience and adaptability. While brief, this role provided valuable insights into different organisational approaches to digital transformation in supply chain operations.

Senior Portfolio Manager (Digital Transformation)

Roche

Leading Value Management, Enablement & Insight within Global Catalyst team marked a pivotal shift in strategic portfolio management. While maintaining APAC PMO leadership, this expanded role drove transformation at a global scale, focusing on IT performance optimisation and business value creation.

A cornerstone achievement was implementing Digital Portfolio Management (DPM) in ServiceNow, revolutionising portfolio visibility and decision-making capabilities. This initiative, coupled with orchestrating the transition from project-based to product-based organisational models, significantly enhanced market responsiveness and operational efficiency. The transformation yielded tangible results, including a 15% reduction in operational costs through optimised IT asset management.

Strategic alignment took center stage through the development of OKRs that bridged Informatics initiatives with business objectives. Cross-Informatics portfolio prioritisation ensured investments directly supported long-term business growth while maintaining operational excellence. This dual focus on strategic planning and practical execution created a framework for sustainable value delivery across global operations.

The unique position of managing both global strategic initiatives and APAC regional operations provided valuable insights into scaling transformations effectively. Success demonstrated how combining strategic portfolio management with regional execution expertise drives comprehensive organisational change and measurable business value.

Value Management, Enablement & Insights (Strategic Portfolio Management)

Leading APAC Commercial Operations' PMO Informatics marked a transformative period in digital evolution and agile transformation. The role encompassed strategic oversight of IT operations across APAC, balancing innovation with fiscal responsibility through robust governance and stakeholder management.

A significant transformation came through pioneering event-driven financial planning, revolutionising budget adaptability to business needs. This approach, coupled with establishing durable stream-aligned teams in customer engagement, patient engagement, data & analytics, and automation, accelerated value delivery across the region.

The USD 18 million customer engagement initiative exemplified the impact of strong governance and stakeholder alignment. Serving on the governing committee, the role ensured robust delivery while fostering collaboration between IT leadership and business stakeholders. Parallel efforts in scaling Agile methodologies throughout APAC, particularly with the Kuala Lumpur development team, fostered a culture of adaptive planning and iterative delivery.

Portfolio management focused on business demand validation, strategic prioritisation, and financial oversight, ensuring IT investments aligned with business objectives while maintaining budget accuracy. Regular collaboration with APAC IT leadership and Finance Business Partners created a foundation for informed decision-making and strategic resource allocation.

Success in this position demonstrated how effective PMO leadership combines strategic financial oversight with agile transformation, driving sustainable business value through strong stakeholder partnerships.

APAC PMO Head, Informatics - Commercial Operations

As Portfolio Manager for Global Technical Operations' Pharma Informatics, the role focused on maximizing technology investment value while enabling reliable delivery of pharmaceutical pipeline and quality medicine supply. Implementing comprehensive portfolio governance through ServiceNow IT Business Management created unprecedented visibility into technology investments and their business impact.

A key transformation involved establishing the Strategic Portfolio Management framework, incorporating SAFe methodologies and technology portfolio governance ceremonies. As a core team member in the ITBM rollout (APM-FM-RM-PPM-SAFe), the role drove standardization of portfolio management practices across global technical operations. The Application Portfolio Management implementation for Pharma Informatics brought clarity to application lifecycles and strategic technology decisions.

Success centered on translating business strategy and operating vision into actionable technology imperatives. Through regular business reviews and portfolio health assessments, the position ensured technology investments aligned with organizational capabilities, product strategy, and financial objectives. This systematic approach to portfolio governance enhanced decision-making transparency and value delivery across the pharmaceutical technical operations landscape.

The role demonstrated how effective portfolio management combines strategic insight with practical governance mechanisms, enabling technology to drive business value in pharmaceutical operations.

Portfolio Manager Pharma Informatics - Global Technical Operations

Within RSTO's Program Management Office, this role drove strategic oversight of manufacturing operations through integrated project governance and risk management. Leading the Site Project Council, the position ensured critical prioritisation of initiatives while guiding the Site Risk Management core team in identifying and mitigating production risks.

A key transformation involved implementing the Resource Planning and Management System, overseeing its lifecycle from vendor development through site-wide training. This enhanced the site's ability to manage resources across multiple projects while maintaining production stability. The broader portfolio, valued at over USD50M, included a USD20M+ process transfer project where serving as business project manager meant collaborating with technical and construction teams to align objectives with manufacturing capabilities.

Success centered on establishing vital organisational frameworks - from change review boards to risk management communities. These governance structures supported informed CAPEX planning and strategic decision-making while ensuring operational resilience. The role demonstrated how effective program management combines governance excellence with systematic resource management, all built on cross-functional collaboration.

Program Manager (PgM Management Office) - Manufacturing

HP Software and Solutions

Led the commercial and delivery alignment from the project teams across APAC and provided review and assurance to the plans to ensure visible, consistent, and predictable delivery.

• Ensured there are commercial work packages or change requests in place between the business and third party that clearly identify the delivery milestones and these have been accepted by the project delivery teams.

• Ensured there are plans in place with the business and third-party Project Managers that clearly show how each work package will be delivered.

• Monitored and tracked the key delivery milestones.

• Ensured that these delivery milestones are mapped into the program plans and any misalignment is being managed.

• Ensured risks are being identified, recorded, and being managed for all delivery plans.

CMS Delivery Assurance (APJ)

IBM Malaysia

Monitor and Control all projects contracted under the Maxis Business Transformation Track. 
• Ensure project phases are kept under control
• Provides a consistent way to report on project status and deliverables (Project documentation templates and Project check points with managers)
• Lead weekly Governance review of project delivery Dashboard. Consolidate escalated report for Governance committee review. 
• Ensure early adoption of processes, policies and standards at every early of the project to minimize implementation effort.

PMO Lead (MAXIS BT Program)

HP Enterprise Services

•  Provides Framework (for a consistent approach to managing project deliverables) 
•  Improve project execution effectiveness.
•  Ensure project phases are kept under control
•  Provides a consistent way to report on project status and deliverables (Project documentation templates and Project check points with managers)
•  Lead weekly Governance review of project delivery Dashboard. Consolidate escalated report for Governance committee review. 
•  Ensure early adoption of processes, policies and standards at every early of the project to minimise implementation effort.

Global PMO Governance Lead - Shell Account

Provide leadership and direction to a team of 15-20 team members in providing the following support to project management managing projects in the Shell Account:
•  Plans, directs and co-ordinates a cross-functional team's activities
•  Review Project Control Plan and perform project/program health checks to ensure client requirements are captured into plans and implemented.
•  Determines, monitors and reviews all project/program economics to include costs, operational budgets, staffing requirements, resources, and risk.
•  Identifies and assembles the appropriate blend of resources to meet program needs and requirements.
•  Monitors and reports on activities related to the project/program.
•  Controls project/program requirements, scope, and change management issues.
•  Ensures adherence to legally binding requirements and customer's  Critical Service Level (CSL) goals.
•  Coaches and counsels members of cross-functional teams to accomplish project/program goals.
•  Ensure projects effectively and following standard processes, reporting issues and risks on a regular basis.
•  Capture, analyse and report performance metrics on a weekly basis - Portfolio Dashboard

APAC PMO Lead - Shell Account

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd

• Setting up the Project PMO – Structure and Operational Processes
• Reporting to Project Director and Country Technical Services Head
• Direct and manage Project Managers for implementation. 
• Managed monthly progress metrics with visibility to executive management, clients and stakeholders.
• Lead the planning and clarification activities
• Ensure PMO guidelines and operational standards are followed
• Undertake manpower planning and recruitment exercises
• Preparation of all related supporting plans and guides
• Preparation of all templates for reporting internally and externally
• Development of tracking, monitoring and controlling activities.
• Development of Training plan – internally and externally (customer)
• Liaise with regional and HW office in issues escalation, weekly meeting and problem resolution.

Head of PMO - GrameenPhone GSM Project (Bangladesh)

Regional Manager strategizing, communicating and leading project capability development across Asia Pacific.

PMO Activities:

1) Lead Process Guidelines - End-to-End Project Management Processes.

2) Development, Liaison and dissemination of information on upgrade or improvement on project management processes

3) Liaison with Head Hunters and lead recruitment of Project and PMO Resources.

4) Address training needs on project competencies and project management tool skills (MS Project, IBM RPM)

5) Lead, and coordinate project capability development activities / projects, project establishment and rating for AP Region. 

6) Review projects, recommend and act on deviations from plans / strategies / standards 

7) Perform analysis on competencies by identifying opportunities from analysis of data or information 

8) Deploy strategies  and facilitate workshops and provide training on process compliance in South America, Europe, Russia and APAC.

Asia Pacific Regional Manager - Project Management Department (PMD)

SENTRAL Management and Technology Centre

* Set up the Centre of Excellence. 
* Brand development, Developed brand strategy 
* Strategic Consulting, including business plan & sales strategy development. 
* Generated new development deals for Six Sigma and Project management Consulting and Training practices
* Developed and strategized and managed the recruitment, marketing, and delivery of projects. 
* Responsible for P&L of the Centre. 
* Partnered with E-Zsigma Canada for Six Sigma and Project Management Delivery (consulting and training). 
* Directly participated in multiple projects

Program Manager

IMPART Consulting Group

Responsible for the deployment and implementation of consulting, training initiatives and certification programs across Malaysia and Singapore. 

Marketing and Skill Development – Deployment and Delivery
* Directed sales and marketing in Malaysia, Singapore and India.
* Developed a Management program for Singapore Market.
* Delivered specific training modules on organizational development in Malaysia and Singapore.

Project Management (PM)
* Managed and coordinated teams to coach and support organizations in service and Mfg.
* Developed client organization’s project management maturity and capability
* Collaborated with managers in IT, Finance, Marketing, and Legal initiating PM maturity analysis.
* Advised on the set up of project management office for internal and client requirements.
* Spearheaded partnership between two major organizations for delivery of consulting and training services in Asia on Project Management and Process Improvement (Six Sigma)

Project Manager

SEGi College  Subang Jaya

Senior Lecturer  and later upgraded to Head of Department at Systematic Education Group International, Malaysia
* Managed a staff of 2 and 50 students
* Taught business management courses on Quantitative Analysis, Operations Research, Computer Related Mathematics, Marketing Research for Diploma and Degree Level Students
* Awarded twice for producing student with best world scores (quantitative methods).

Head of Dept - Training and Distance Education

A strategic technology portfolio and program management leader with over 25 years of experience shaping how organizations leverage technology investments for business value. My journey has evolved from establishing PMO foundations in telecommunications startups to driving global digital transformation in pharmaceutical giants, demonstrating adaptability and consistent value delivery across diverse business contexts.

At Roche, over thirteen years, I successfully led dual roles spanning regional and global responsibilities. As APAC PMO Head for Commercial Operations, I drove IT portfolio optimization and agile transformation while simultaneously leading global strategic portfolio initiatives that fundamentally reshaped how technology investments deliver business value. Key transformations included pioneering event-driven financial planning, establishing product-based organizational models, and implementing digital portfolio frameworks that enhanced decision-making visibility.

Prior experiences at Huawei and HP Enterprise developed my expertise in establishing and scaling PMO operations across diverse cultural contexts. As Global PMO Governance Lead for Shell's account at HP, I led cross-functional teams in delivering complex technology initiatives. At Huawei, managing the GrameenPhone GSM project in Bangladesh and leading Asia Pacific's Project Management Department demonstrated my ability to build high-performing teams and establish governance frameworks that drive predictable delivery in challenging environments.

My foundation in consulting at SENTRAL and IMPART Consulting Group cultivated my passion for organizational transformation and capability building. These roles, combined with my early career in education at SEGi College, developed my approach to driving change through effective stakeholder engagement and team development.

Throughout my career, I've maintained focus on three core principles:

Aligning technology investments with tangible business outcomes
Building sustainable governance frameworks that adapt to business needs
Developing high-performing teams that deliver consistent results

A trusted advisor who combines strategic thinking with practical execution, I thrive on transforming portfolio and program management practices to drive meaningful business outcomes. My experience across global corporations, telecommunications innovators, and consulting ventures enables me to quickly adapt and deliver value in any organisational context.

#Transformation
#DigitalValueLeadership
#PortfolioManagement
#AgileGovernance
#ValueOptimisation

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