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#223 CTO & Co-Owner 37signals, David Heinemeier Hansson: Perfect Flow

Grit
Grit
Episode • Dec 30, 2024 • 1h 34m

Guest: David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO & co-owner of 37signals and creator of Ruby on Rails
 

37signals CTO David Heinemeier Hansson has organized his life around his passions: Writing, racing sports cars, and coding. “ Why aren't we all doing that?” he wonders. “Why aren't we all trying to optimize our life in such a way that much of it is enjoyable?”

Part of the problem, David argues, is that it’s impossible to find a creative or productive flow inside of mainstream work culture. Open offices, managerial over-hiring, and sloppy scheduling prevents people from reaching a flow state.

“40 hours a week is plenty than most people,” he says. “... So many people today are focused on just adding more and more hours. They're not thinking about how those hours are spent.” 


Chapters:

  • (01:19) - 24 Hours of Le Mans
  • (06:48) - Amateurs in sports car racing
  • (10:54) - Flow and meditation