Start Here: Building a better onboarding experience

Getting a new customer through the door is one thing, but making sure they understand how things work is another. In this episode, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson break down how (and why) 37signals redesigned the onboarding experience with their latest version of Basecamp, why onboarding is one of the easiest things to overlook, and what it looks like when founders stay personally connected to that first impression.

Key Takeaways

• 00:09 – What Basecamp's onboarding looked like before, and what changed with Basecamp 5
• 04:01 – Why onboarding is one of the hardest things to get right
• 08:33 – Why the people who built it are best suited to showcase it to customers
• 11:07 – Using onboarding to introduce who you are, not just what you built

Links and Resources

• Record a video question for the podcast
• Watch The REWORK podcast on YouTube
• Basecamp is the no-nonsense project management system. Sign up for free at Basecamp.com
• HEY is a fresh take on email. Sign up for a 30-day free trial at HEY.com
• Fizzy is a modern spin on kanban. Sign up for free at fizzy.do
• Books by 37signals
• Jason Fried on X
• David Heinemeier Hansson on X