Over a million people use the web-based applications that 37 Signals built. Many of them are paying customers. So I called up the company’s co-founder, Jason Fried, and asked him to teach us how 37 Signals does it. Here are some of my notes from the interview. You don’t need money Lack of money, Jason says, forces you to focus on building something that works. It forces you to find ways to earn money, instead of amusing yourself with projects that are just fun or interesting. Become a teacher Teaching is 37 Signals’s marketing. It’s what get helped them build the audience that uses their products and generates their revenue. Jason says his company thinks like the top chefs who know that teaching on TV enhances their reputation and builds a following. Get a voice 37 Signals has one of the most respected blogs in the business, but you don’t have to be a blogger you just need a voice. Find your medium–audio, video, whatever–and let your voice be heard. Charge for subscriptions Too many internet entrepreneurs are afraid to charge their users. If 37 Signals didn’t get any new users this month, it would still have revenues because its business is built on a subscription fee. Be well-rounded 37 Signals hires people who are more than “just programmers,” or “just designers,” or “just” anything else. Jason says that people who cultivate non-work interests can bring in new ideas can bring in new ideas from outside their industries. Do you have any bootstrapping tips? Tell me by …

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