If you are searching for new ideas and a different perspective for your business or personal life, then add this book to your summer reading list: Getting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application. You can buy the PDF version, buy the paperback edition, or read it free on-line.
Below is an excerpt from the book. Go to this website: www.gettingreal.37signals.com for more detail.
While this book’s emphasis is on building a web app, a lot of these ideas are applicable to non-software activities too. The suggestions about small teams, rapid prototyping, expecting iterations, and many others presented here can serve as a guide whether you’re starting a business, writing a book, designing a web site, recording an album, or doing a variety of other endeavors. Once you start Getting Real in one area of your life, you’ll see how these concepts can apply to a wide range of activities.
In this book you will learn the following and lots more.
- The importance of having a philosophy
- Why staying small is a good thing
- How to build less
- How to get from idea to reality quickly
- How to staff your team
- Why you should design from the inside out
- Why writing is so crucial
- Why you should underdo your competition
- How to promote your app and spread the word
- Secrets to successful support
- Tips on keeping momentum going after launch
