

Life at Basecamp - Six Months In - designtofly
http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/30/smallbusiness/online_collaboration_software.fsb/index.htm

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jnovek
We've been using Basecamp + Campfire for a few weeks on our project, and I
have to say that I really like it so far.

I AM really concerned about the amount of content in our Basecamp site growing
out of control -- already, I have to scroll several pages to add a note to an
old, seldom used message... we already have fifteen or so writeboards. If
there's a way to archive this stuff, it's not readily apparent to me (although
I am a bit of a dolt).

For those who have used (and enjoyed) Basecamp, has this been a problem for
you as your project expanded?

As an aside, did anyone else find the embedded headlines for other stories in
this article dreadfully confusing?

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hschenker
I used to use Basecamp as part of an eight-member team for web projects. After
a few weeks, it had so many rabbit holes of data in it (each one created by
different users who created different organization systems) that I stopped
using it because I had no idea where to look any more.

But that's not really a fault with Basecamp itself - it's just as much of a
problem with any system that allows users to create their own categories or
folders, like SharePoint.

It was doubly annoying that I was forced to use two systems for communication
- Outlook and Basecamp. First someone would go into Basecamp and write a
message - and because they had subscribed me to it, I'd get an email with
their note included.

To reply to it - instead of using Outlook, which normally would be dead easy
since I could just click "reply all," I'd have to figure out where to go in
Basecamp to reply to it - which was so difficult to do that I never did.
Instead, I'd typically just reply to the message using Outlook, which of
course defeated the purpose of Basecamp.

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yan
Interesting article. It pointed out a lot of flaws in 37signals software that
are clearly intended. Whether a lack of features and a strict conformance to
bare software is a net positive or negative for small business is another
conversation, but this does point out a need for features that they are
missing.

This also comes along with 37signals' post on the permanent nature of
features, and the importance of getting it mostly right from the beginning.

On that topic, the idea of providing business services in the mindset UNIX
tools is beginning to be really attractive to me. Provide a limited set of
features in a small bundle that plays well with other services, along a
similar mindset. A billing component, a collaboration component, etc, such
that each one can play with another very well. That should make offering new
services more painless and intuitive.

Any takes on a venture? :)

~~~
edw519
_It pointed out a lot of flaws in 37signals software_

It pointed out the major flaw in the 37signals _philosophy_ : they're frozen.
Sure they moved apps from the desktop to the web and simplified them greatly,
two very appealing propositions for many small businesses. But OP presents a
clear example of the flaw: What do you do when you have grown and your app
_can't_?

Apply all the perfume you want, but if your app can't scale or be customized,
in the end all you have is what you started with: a canned package.

~~~
jeanmarc
I would have to disagree with you on this matter - Basecamp on its own
provides enough features for most users, and their API is powerful enough to
allow for nearly limitless expansion. Where I feel the company fails is in
promoting this API to consumers. If the company had a directory of third party
tools, a job board for Basecamp API developers, and built a few extension
tools of their own I feel they could appease the nay-sayers while sticking
true to their philosophy

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trotzke
I think the premise of the article is misguided. If they need time tracking
with accounting software integration, have they tried Harvest?

Linda sounds like the problem not basecamp. If Linda was doing a good job she
would have researched problem and turned up Harvest-- at least as an option to
try.

Instead she fell into the 'this is the way it's been done before mindset',
that doesn't recognize the benefits of collaboration or web services.

In my experience, Linda's approach may make her feel like every penny is
accounted for, but that will only be true in her books. Everyone else will be
left with a print out of a week old, outdated gantt chart, and less certainty
about what to do.

~~~
skmurphy
This is a great quote "every penny is accounted for, but that will only be
true in her books." One of the strengths of a collaboration app, in particular
if you grant customers acces to the workspace, is that you are better able to
focus on the value that you are delivering, not the hours you are working.
Clients pay for results not hours: I question why the strict focus on hours.
We use CentralDesktop and are happy with it, but I would never confuse it with
a time tracking system.

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steveplace
"Expect to either make a major investment in developing your own financial and
tracking software that works with Basecamp to make it do what you need
(37Signals provides an open applications development toolset, so this is
certainly possible),"

Business opp, anyone?

~~~
run4yourlives
Was just thinking the same thing. How hard would it be to use the API to pull
data into a csv format? That seems to be what his main gripe was, after all.

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henning
Jason Fried sez: we'd prefer that you outgrow our software, because we still
have your fucking money. Hah!

In 37Signals' defense, they don't have time to bend over backwards for each
and every little customer whim, especially enterprisey-type crap like this
customer wanted. You have to be utilitarian or else you're dead.

