I joined 37signals five and a half years ago. I don’t think this is the right company for most people or that most people are a good fit for it. At the same time, I know this can be a dream job when there’s alignment on both sides. Here’s the whole deal from my very personal point of view.

Let me start with the most challenging part: the bar at 37signals is very high. Everyone is very good at what they do, and you notice this quickly. You will naturally wonder if you belong here, which can be stressful. You will also appreciate the personal growth this environment brings.

Continuing with the challenges, we work in cycles. That means you can ship in a time-boxed way. And, as I said, the bar is high. Getting things working in time is far from being enough. You must ship in time with the expected quality bar in a company of people with a keen eye for detail. You need to be able to perform in this environment.

If this concerns you, you won’t see people working long hours here. My current routine involves taking my daughters to the school bus, going to the gym, returning to work, and calling it a day when they come back. Of course, there are exceptions, such as incidents or product launches, but those moments where intensity peaks are rare. Your routine is calm and steady work, and this happens by design. Long hours go against the company ethos, and our cycle planning always includes a senior programmer informing what’s feasible in terms of scope. And you can be sure this programmer is listened to. Extra time won’t determine whether someone delivers at the expected level.

Now, assuming you can perform at the expected level, the good parts arrive.

First in my book: autonomy. You are not only encouraged to make calls; you are expected to! Nobody will tell you how to spend your time, create to-dos on your behalf, or tell you which path you should follow. The deal here is receiving a low-fidelity depiction of an interesting problem to solve and quality time to figure it out. If you like building, this is heaven.

By quality time, I mean long periods of uninterrupted, focused work. Here’s the deal: you radiate what you do, and your calendar will be free of meetings. Nobody will care how you organize your time, and nobody will see a green dot indicating if you are online. This is the consequence of twenty years iterating a company around a few core principles. 37signals has an approach to work that looks as alien to the outsiders as it is obvious when you are inside.

Second, working with the 37signals crew is a treat. Everyone is kind, supportive, and ridiculously talented, making collaboration a joy. Just being exposed to people who are good at their craft is a pleasure on its own. Three examples:  check how Kimberly hosts our podcast, read a pitch by Brian, or see two designers review a design. If you’re the kind of person who appreciates how a good fishmonger prepares fish, you’ll find plenty of fish here being masterfully prepared.

Third, the company has an intimate knowledge of product development and research. Explorations are encouraged, even if they don’t result in something tangible. We play with ideas, see how they feel, and revisit our assumptions. We don’t do this recklessly—there are always real needs behind—but if you’ve got an itch to scratch, 37signals will be a YES company. This applies to both products and more technical artifacts to support those.

And fourth, the conditions are fantastic—so good that I avoid them when talking with friends and family. The compensation, which includes a profit-sharing bonus, is terrific. And then you have many amazing perks. Upgrade your laptop when needed, a 6-week sabbatical every 3 years, home office set-up, company CC, etc. Oh, and twice per year, they take you to incredible places around the world to hang out with your colleagues, who are a diverse bunch of kind, uber-interesting individuals. On day one here, I remember telling myself, “Don’t take this for granted”. Five years in, I still find myself thinking the same thing.

If I had to sum it up, I’d say that 37signals is a company that cares. They care about their products, customers, employees, and craft. In my first job, the people running the show didn’t give a shit, and the experience left a deep mark on me. This is the opposite: they do care. Maybe that’s why I like working here so much.

If you care too, join us.