In typical 37signals fashion, the wisdom in these pages is edgy yet

CHAPTER
 
EVOLUTION

---

---

Say no by default
If I'd listened to customers,
 
I'd have given them a faster horse.
--HENRY FORD
It's so easy to say yes. Yes to another feature, yes to an overly optimistic
deadline, yes to a mediocre design. Soon, the stack of things you've said yes
to grows so tall you can't even see the things you should really be doing.
Start getting into the habit of saying no--even to many of your best ideas.
Use the power of no to get your priorities straight. You rarely regret saying
no. But you often wind up regretting saying yes.
People avoid saying no because confrontation makes them
uncomfortable. But the alternative is even worse. You drag things out, make
things complicated, and work on ideas you don't believe in.
It's like a relationship: Breaking one up is hard to do, but staying in it just
because you're too chicken to drop the ax is even worse. Deal with the brief
discomfort of confrontation up front and avoid the long-term regret.
Don't believe that "customer is always right" stuff, either. Let's say you're
a chef. If enough of your customers say your food is too salty or too hot,
you change it. But if a few persnickety patrons tell you to add bananas to
your lasagna, you're going to turn them down, and that's OK. Making a few
vocal customers happy isn't worth it if it ruins the product for everyone else.
ING Direct has built the fastest-growing bank in America by saying no.
When customers ask for a credit card, the answer is no. When they ask for
an online brokerage, the answer is no. When they ask if they can open an
account with a million dollars in it, the answer is no (the bank has a strict
deposit maximum). ING wants to keep things simple. That's why the bank
offers just a few savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and mutual funds-
-and that's it.
Don't be a jerk about saying no, though. Just be honest. If you're not
willing to yield to a customer request, be polite and explain why. People are
surprisingly understanding when you take the time to explain your point of

---

view. You may even win them over to your way of thinking. If not,
recommend a competitor if you think there's a better solution out there. It's
better to have people be happy using someone else's product than
disgruntled using yours.
Your goal is to make sure your product stays right for you. You're the one
who has to believe in it most. That way, you can say, "I think you'll love it
because I love it."

---