Picking Priorities

How do you decide what to work on next, without relying on a long, stale to-do list? In this episode of The REWORK Podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about why they don’t rely on lengthy roadmaps to set priorities. Instead, they focus on what makes sense now, not what seemed like a good idea months ago. They explain how working in real time leads to better decisions and thinking that fits the moment.

Key Takeaways:

• 00:44 – Priorities aren’t permanent—they’re meant to shift as you learn
• 03:20 – Ditch the roadmap mentality in favor of real-time decision-making
• 07:20 – There’s a difference between winging it and planning as you go
• 09:10 – Why 6-week cycles give you just enough structure without locking you in

Links and Resources:

• “Doing what you think, not what you thought” from Jason Fried’s HEY World
• Get Basecamp for free at Basecamp.com
• Books by 37signals
• HEY World | HEY
• REWORK podcast merch
• The REWORK podcast
• The Rework Podcast on YouTube
• The 37signals Dev Blog
• 37signals on YouTube
• @37signals on X