Episode
#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
3:33:08
Published: Wed Oct 26 2016
Description
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." David is one of the most outspoken technologists out there. He is not one to hide his opinions or mince words. In this episode, we cover a lot, including... The power of being outspoken Running a profitable business without venture capital Stoic philosophy Flow space Parallels across disciplines DHH's rules for creating excellence And much, much more... Please enjoy my conversation with DHH! Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Four Sigmatic. I reached out to these Finnish entrepreneurs after a very talented acrobat introduced me to one of their products, which blew my mind (in the best way possible). It is mushroom coffee featuring chaga. It tastes like coffee, but there are only 40 milligrams of caffeine, so it has less than half of what you would find in a regular cup of coffee. I do not get any jitters, acid reflux, or any type of stomach burn. It put me on fire for an entire day, and I only had half of the packet. People are always asking me what I use for cognitive enhancement right now, this is the answer. You can try it right now by going to foursigmatic.com/tim and using the code Tim to get 20 percent off your first order. If you are in the experimental mindset, I do not think you'll be disappointed. This podcast is also brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service led by technologists from places like Apple. It has exploded in popularity in the last two years and now has more than $2.5B under management. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it's all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams. Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they'll show you for free the exact portfolio they'd put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Well worth a few minutes to explore: wealthfront.com/tim. ***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Visit tim.blog/sponsor and fill out the form.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
In this episode, the guest and the host discuss their favorite quotes and provide insights on life, fitness, and personal growth while playing with a soundboard.
00:00 - 00:55 (00:55)
Summary
In this episode, the guest and the host discuss their favorite quotes and provide insights on life, fitness, and personal growth while playing with a soundboard. The guest mentions how he is a cybernetic organism living tissue over metal.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
David Heinemeier Hanson, the founder of Ruby on Rails and the CTO at Basecamp, delves into his rules for creating excellence, how he runs a profitable business without venture capital for more than a decade, and his principles for developing beautiful code that translates to other areas.
00:55 - 06:39 (05:44)
Summary
David Heinemeier Hanson, the founder of Ruby on Rails and the CTO at Basecamp, delves into his rules for creating excellence, how he runs a profitable business without venture capital for more than a decade, and his principles for developing beautiful code that translates to other areas.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The guest shares how his love for racing games eventually propelled him to pursue actual racing, going from not having a driver's license to winning his class in just 9 years.
06:39 - 12:31 (05:51)
Summary
The guest shares how his love for racing games eventually propelled him to pursue actual racing, going from not having a driver's license to winning his class in just 9 years.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares how finding the right tone and attitude can make any subject interesting and easy to learn, even something as dry as programming a salary compensation system for Chrysler.
12:31 - 21:18 (08:46)
Summary
The speaker shares how finding the right tone and attitude can make any subject interesting and easy to learn, even something as dry as programming a salary compensation system for Chrysler.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss discusses his experiences with achieving flow state both in programming and motorsports, identifying the importance of developing an eye for the whole scope of a task and getting into the nitty-gritty details to cultivate flow.
21:18 - 30:01 (08:43)
Summary
Tim Ferriss discusses his experiences with achieving flow state both in programming and motorsports, identifying the importance of developing an eye for the whole scope of a task and getting into the nitty-gritty details to cultivate flow.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
A personal journey of how the speaker learned how to code despite initially avoiding it, to make him less reliant and more self-sufficient.
30:01 - 37:35 (07:33)
Summary
A personal journey of how the speaker learned how to code despite initially avoiding it, to make him less reliant and more self-sufficient. He shares how starting with building gaming systems and simple information systems sparked his interest, and how he slowly started to find it fascinating.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker reminisces about his early experiences with programming and how working with Jason Fried at Basecamp helped him discover his passion for programming.
37:35 - 44:35 (07:00)
Summary
The speaker reminisces about his early experiences with programming and how working with Jason Fried at Basecamp helped him discover his passion for programming.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Programming languages are like families, and you can learn them with greater ease if they belong to the same family.
44:35 - 51:54 (07:18)
Summary
Programming languages are like families, and you can learn them with greater ease if they belong to the same family. Similarly, Ruby is a mix of various programming languages that makes it easier for learners to pick up and get excited about.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Jason Fried discusses the importance of approachability in learning and the benefits of being in the top 15-20% of multiple skills, rather than striving to be the best in one specific domain.
51:54 - 59:59 (08:04)
Summary
Jason Fried discusses the importance of approachability in learning and the benefits of being in the top 15-20% of multiple skills, rather than striving to be the best in one specific domain.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
David Heinemeier Hansson shares a different approach to running a company that involves evaluating everything from first principles and optimizing the system to do more good.
59:59 - 1:10:55 (10:55)
Summary
David Heinemeier Hansson shares a different approach to running a company that involves evaluating everything from first principles and optimizing the system to do more good.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Focusing on long term strategy is key to building a sustainable company with lasting relationships, rather than a standard model of quick growth through venture capital investments and rapid expansion.
1:10:55 - 1:23:28 (12:33)
Summary
Focusing on long term strategy is key to building a sustainable company with lasting relationships, rather than a standard model of quick growth through venture capital investments and rapid expansion.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss talks about the philosophy of stoicism and how it can help people find tranquility.
1:23:28 - 1:31:16 (07:48)
Summary
Tim Ferriss talks about the philosophy of stoicism and how it can help people find tranquility. He also discusses how the seven to ten year sprint in Silicon Valley is incompatible with the idea of finding happiness and the importance of developing versatile work habits.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-founder of Basecamp, discusses flow, interesting challenges and diversification as guiding principles for making business decisions.
1:31:16 - 1:42:23 (11:07)
Summary
David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-founder of Basecamp, discusses flow, interesting challenges and diversification as guiding principles for making business decisions. He also shares his decision to not accept venture capital funding in order to preserve his company's freedom and independence.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Long stretches of uninterrupted time are crucial for achieving creative work and productivity, but today's technology-filled environment makes it increasingly hard to enjoy those moments.
1:42:23 - 1:49:11 (06:47)
Summary
Long stretches of uninterrupted time are crucial for achieving creative work and productivity, but today's technology-filled environment makes it increasingly hard to enjoy those moments. David Heinemeier Hansson, the co-founder of Basecamp, believes that the rise of chat applications in the workplace and mobile phones is making it harder to achieve tranquility and flow.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Recognizing your complicity in any situation can help you take responsibility for your actions and work towards actionable changes.
1:49:12 - 2:00:05 (10:53)
Summary
Recognizing your complicity in any situation can help you take responsibility for your actions and work towards actionable changes. This applies to both personal and professional settings to improve overall outcomes.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker finds personal satisfaction in spotting similarities in work patterns and creating productive tools to improve it.
2:00:05 - 2:04:56 (04:51)
Summary
The speaker finds personal satisfaction in spotting similarities in work patterns and creating productive tools to improve it. They believe that enabling tiny teams to compete through easy access to affordable technology was a game-changer for web startups.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the speaker shares various books that have influenced his approach to business practices, management techniques, and parenting strategies.
2:04:56 - 2:10:47 (05:51)
Summary
In this episode, the speaker shares various books that have influenced his approach to business practices, management techniques, and parenting strategies.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Kids learn best through personal experience instead of parents trying to do the processing for them.
2:10:47 - 2:16:40 (05:52)
Summary
Kids learn best through personal experience instead of parents trying to do the processing for them. Allowing them to run risks and make mistakes improves their personal growth and development better than telling them what's right or wrong.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The host and guest discuss the concept of the disparity between a person's inner and outer lives, the value of empathy and how social media is sometimes used as a form of catharsis.
2:16:40 - 2:25:38 (08:58)
Summary
The host and guest discuss the concept of the disparity between a person's inner and outer lives, the value of empathy and how social media is sometimes used as a form of catharsis.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker, while noting that he has a soft spot for Richard Branson and admires Warren Buffett, praises people who lead inner lives of contentment despite not being successful in the traditional sense.
2:25:38 - 2:34:25 (08:47)
Summary
The speaker, while noting that he has a soft spot for Richard Branson and admires Warren Buffett, praises people who lead inner lives of contentment despite not being successful in the traditional sense. However, the speaker also expresses his disillusionment with the Silicon Valley startup scene.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this segment, the speaker discusses the struggle to find time to take in non-fiction material, and also touches on the issue of backhanded compliments and "highlight reels."
2:34:26 - 2:41:47 (07:21)
Summary
In this segment, the speaker discusses the struggle to find time to take in non-fiction material, and also touches on the issue of backhanded compliments and "highlight reels."
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker explains that skateboarding is a fun and efficient mode of transportation that also provides a sense of exercise.
2:41:47 - 2:48:39 (06:51)
Summary
The speaker explains that skateboarding is a fun and efficient mode of transportation that also provides a sense of exercise. With updated wheel technology, it doesn't require much effort and can get you to your destination quickly.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The purchase of a Leica camera, worth $20,000, has allowed the speaker to capture priceless moments in high quality, which would be lost if captured on an ordinary camera.
2:48:39 - 2:54:34 (05:55)
Summary
The purchase of a Leica camera, worth $20,000, has allowed the speaker to capture priceless moments in high quality, which would be lost if captured on an ordinary camera. The camera holds its value, especially its lens which has been around for 100 years and can be used on all cameras.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The ability to produce elegant and beautiful code in high-level programming languages correlates with being a clear thinker and writer.
2:54:34 - 3:05:37 (11:03)
Summary
The ability to produce elegant and beautiful code in high-level programming languages correlates with being a clear thinker and writer. There are patterns and principles such as low coupling and high cohesion that describe how to make good code and concepts like the composed method that breaks down code to keep everything on the same level of abstraction.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Good journalists and scientists who have internalized the scientific method are among the best people to train to code quickly, as they possess the skills to investigate a problem deeply and present solutions in a clear and concise manner.
3:05:37 - 3:12:16 (06:38)
Summary
Good journalists and scientists who have internalized the scientific method are among the best people to train to code quickly, as they possess the skills to investigate a problem deeply and present solutions in a clear and concise manner.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker reflects on his unreasonable request for a job and how it led him to where he is today, working with Jason as peers.
3:12:16 - 3:18:05 (05:49)
Summary
The speaker reflects on his unreasonable request for a job and how it led him to where he is today, working with Jason as peers. He also expresses the desire to influence the overall strategy of the organization, despite starting in an entry-level programming position.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Basecamp CEO Jason Fried explains how individuals with extreme swings in their positives and negatives are the ones who end up changing things, even though most sane people wouldn't put themselves in such situations.
3:18:06 - 3:24:06 (05:59)
Summary
Basecamp CEO Jason Fried explains how individuals with extreme swings in their positives and negatives are the ones who end up changing things, even though most sane people wouldn't put themselves in such situations. He also discusses the need to let go of employees who don't exhibit their strengths in their current roles.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Wealthfront is a software that offers automatic tax loss harvesting, rebalancing of portfolios over 10 asset classes, and dividend reinvestment at a low cost of 0.25% per year on assets over $15,000.
3:24:06 - 3:31:43 (07:36)
Summary
Wealthfront is a software that offers automatic tax loss harvesting, rebalancing of portfolios over 10 asset classes, and dividend reinvestment at a low cost of 0.25% per year on assets over $15,000. Although Tim Ferris is an investor in the company, he is not a user due to SEC regulations.
Episode#195: David Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Four Sigmatic offers mushroom coffee that includes chaga mushroom and lion's mane, which is considered a nootropic smart drug.
3:31:43 - 3:33:00 (01:17)
Summary
Four Sigmatic offers mushroom coffee that includes chaga mushroom and lion's mane, which is considered a nootropic smart drug. It contains less than half of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee and provides cognitive enhancement without any jitters or acid reflux.