My 43Things

I just signed up for 43things. I've been resisting the whole social networking movement for long. It simply takes too much time signing up and filling those forms. But it was only a matter of time. With 43Things, you select things/places/books/movie you did, doing or want to do. The site then tracks you against time and other people. The fun part's you get to read other people's experience who's in the same boat as you. You can read their blogs and 'cheer' them on while they too cheer you. You can see my 43Things on the right sidebar here.

The site is created using Ruby on Rails by a bunch of folks who worked at Amazon.com before. Recently they turned two and got funding from Amazon.com, so looks like they made it. Here are a few things a learnt along the way:

• Bring your own computer.


• Sit around one big table. Make communication easy.


• No discussions over mailing lists.


• Meetings take place at the pub, or as a standing meeting.


• Use paper and notecards instead of documents.


• Share the stereo.


• Walk or bike to work if you can.


• Eat lunch together. Play credit card roulette.


• Make it more fun than useful.


• Embrace constraints.


• Build something you’d use. Use what you build.


• Don’t overmonetize.


• Rely on the software in your head rather than try to replicate culture in features.


• Design as you build. Keep the cost of change low.


• Be in it to win it.