
Getting Real
by 37signals
Mentioned once across 1 show · first heard Mar 2026 on My First Million.
The general take
David Heinemeier Hansson speaks positively about Getting Real, saying the book and its core ideas from 1999 still hold up well because they focus on fundamentals and extracting lessons from real work that produced something lasting and worthwhile.
About
Everyone values honest communication, yet few people possess the requisite skills. Susan Campbell provides simple yet practical awareness practices culled from her 35-year career as a relationship coach and corporate consultant that require individuals to let go” of the need to be right, safe, and certain. Such questions as In what areas of my life do I feel the need to lie, sugarcoat, or pretend?” help guide the reader toward self-realization. The ten truth skills include Letting Yourself Be Seen, Taking Back Projections, Saying No, Welcoming Feedback, Expressing Taboo Thoughts and Emotions, Revising an Earlier Statement, Holding Differences, Sharing Mixed Emotions, and Embracing the Silence of Not Knowing.
Who said what

David Heinemeier Hansson👍 Recommends
…reflecting on 37signals' early books and their lasting relevance
“Getting Real, the first book, that manifesto from 99, Rework from 2010. A lot of that stuff still holds up because it's focused on fundamentals and focused on extracting lessons from our work producing something that was worthwhile and lasted.”
My First Million — DHH: $100M+ Advice That'll Piss Off Every Business Guruat 07:07
Listener reviews
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