Layered Thoughts

A company I really admire in the world of business and technology is 37signals. They have created a handful of very powerful business collaboration and management products and have become very successful doing so. They have also become pretty famous for being the guys who do what they want despite what’s the fad in the industry. They have defined themselves outside of the quickly changing fads of the tech world and because of that have become notable figures in the universe they contrast. (Sorry about that last sentence sounding like the thesis statement from an essay by an 8th grader) Recently, one of their cofounders, Jason Fried, gave a presentation about how to market a product or business through educating your customers. First of all, here it is (It’s only about 15 minutes long): [blip.tv ?posts_id=1442785&dest=-1] What I took away from Jason’s talk was that most businesses today are afraid of anyone knowing how they do things and instead are focused on paying to market their product through advertising in order to gain new customers.  They are doing the work of searching for new customers. Jason is advocating that businesses should instead strive to educate their customers on everything pertaining to their how their product works and how it will help thm.  By teaching people about how you solve problems and make great products, you’re bringing people in as fans of your business.  And when you make a name for your business, you’re making a name for any products your business might create. And I think what’s most interesting about what he is saying is that he’s pointing out that if you’re good at what you do, you’ll succeed even if you’re telling everyone how you do it.  By making a name for yourself and helping those who are looking to solve the problems your products solve, you’re creating a brand loyalty that is unattainable through traditional media outlets.