Built on Trust – REWORK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7crcYTxmlUE## Main Points37signals, the company behind Basecamp and Hey, has cultivated a high-trust organizational culture over more than two decades, emphasizing trust as a foundational element for both employee experience and operational efficiency [0:00–0:15]. Central to this culture are tools like the “trust battery” and “radical candor,” which foster accountability through openness and direct feedback [0:10–0:25]. Internally, systems default to open access—employees can create or delete tasks without confirmations—because hires are expected to act responsibly [4:46–5:15]. Deleted items are preserved in a recoverable trash for 30 days, reducing risks associated with accidental or malicious deletions [5:10–5:25]. Financial trust is similarly prioritized: employees receive company credit cards with guidance to “spend wisely,” minimizing bureaucratic approval processes [7:40–8:10]. Profit sharing reinforces responsible spending, as employees directly feel the financial impact of wasteful expenditures [8:40–9:20]. This model encourages investment in high-quality tools—such as fast computers—that improve efficiency and job satisfaction, with clear ROI justification [10:40–11:20]. The company critiques overreactions to rare incidents, noting that overly restrictive policies often stem from single cases of misconduct and end up burdening the entire organization [14:41–15:45]. In remote work settings, trust is essential; managers should evaluate output, not time logged, using check-ins and “heartbeat” reports rather than surveillance [17:15–17:35]. Performance is assessed through tangible work products, like pull requests, not presence [19:45–19:55]. Hiring practices focus on performance-based evaluation, which naturally screens out many fraudulent candidates [0:27–24:42]. Only one near-successful case of CV fraud was observed in 25 years, highlighting the rarity of such incidents, especially in companies conducting technical assessments [0:26–24:42].## Key Takeaways- Trust is systematically built, not assumed, through culture, hiring, and transparency.- Open access and minimal permission gates work because of trustworthy hiring and cultural norms.- Profit sharing aligns employee behavior with company health, reducing the need for oversight.- Overly restrictive policies often result from managerial avoidance of difficult conversations.- Remote work success depends on evaluating output, not time, with structured but lightweight check-ins.- High-trust environments foster adult-to-adult relationships, improving engagement and performance.- Technical competence and demonstrated performance are stronger filters than resumes alone.## Key Moments• [0:00–0:15] Trust presented as essential for pleasant work for both employees and managers.  • [0:10–0:25] Introduction of “trust battery” and “radical candor” as cultural accountability tools.  • [1:00–1:30] Customers’ concerns about misuse addressed through cultural trust, not technical locks.  • [2:40–3:10] High trust doesn’t mean blind trust—critical systems like customer data have layered security.  • [4:00–5:20] Hey customer emails are encrypted; access is justified, logged, and reviewed.  • [5:20–5:33] Most internal systems require no confirmation—default open access for trusted hires.  • [7:40–8:10] Employees have company credit cards with simple “spend wisely” guidance.  • [8:40–9:20] Profit sharing makes employees mindful of expenses affecting collective gain.  • [10:40–11:20] Management encourages spending on efficient tools like fast computers.  • [11:00–11:15] A $2,000 computer pays for itself quickly via developer time savings.  • [14:41–14:57] Restrictive policies often arise from one incident, not systemic abuse.  • [15:35–15:45] Broad policies place cognitive load on all due to one person’s mistake.  • [17:15–17:35] “Monday question” and “end of day question” used for remote accountability.  • [17:35–17:45] Six-week “heartbeat” reports summarize team productivity.  • [19:35–19:45] Managerial focus should be on work quality and pace, not hours.  • [21:15–21:25] High trust enables adult-to-adult relationships, boosting performance.  • [0:26–24:42] One candidate nearly hired with falsified employment history.  • [0:27–24:42] Strong technical performance reduces incentive to deceive during hiring.  • [0:28–24:42] Media case of someone holding multiple jobs highlights employer oversight failures.  ## Notable Quotes- “Trust is the foundation of working pleasantly.”  - “Deleted items go to trash and stay recoverable for 30 days.”  - “We tell people: spend wisely. Buy what you need.”  - “Profit sharing makes people conscious of spending—it comes out of their own pockets.”  - “A $2,000 computer can pay for itself in a week through efficiency.”  - “Overly restrictive policies are overreactions to one person’s bad behavior.”  - “Monitoring time in chair is a flawed derivative of actual productivity.”  - “We assess performance by pull requests, not hours logged.” (low confidence)  - “Only one CV fraud attempt in 25 years came close to succeeding.”