Business beyond profit

Profit matters, but it’s not the whole story. In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about building a company around independence instead of endless growth. They reflect on finding the right size for a business, keeping costs low to preserve freedom, and choosing a long, sustainable run over chasing scale at any cost. Key Takeaways 00:10 – Finding your “orbit” when you don’t need to keep pushing for more 03:39 – Letting go of the idea that growth has to be endless 09:05 – Choosing independence instead of outside pressure 17:48 – Keeping costs low so you have room to try things your way 19:57 – Why steady can beat getting bigger Links and Resources Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Try it for free at fizzy.do Record a video question for the podcast Sign up for a 30-day free trial at Basecamp.com Books by 37signals HEY World | HEY The REWORK podcast The Rework Podcast on YouTube The 37signals Dev Blog 37signals on YouTube @37signals on X

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Business beyond profit is an episode from Rework by 37signals.

This episode is 24:31 long.

This episode was published on Mar 18, 2026.

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