37signals

37signals LLC
Company typePrivate
Founded1999; 25 years ago (1999)
Founder
  • Jason Fried
  • Carlos Segura
  • Ernest Kim
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
,
United States
Key people
ProductsBasecamp, Ruby on Rails, Highrise, HEY
ServicesWeb applications
Number of employees
34 (2021)
Website37signals.com

37signals (formerly Basecamp before reverting to its original name) is an American web software company based in Chicago, Illinois. The firm was co‑founded in 1999 by Jason Fried, Carlos Segura, and Ernest Kim as a web design company.[1]

Since mid‑2004, the company's focus has shifted from web design to web application development. Its first commercial application was Basecamp, followed by Backpack, Campfire, and Highrise.[2] The open source web application framework Ruby on Rails was initially created for internal use at 37signals, before being publicly released in 2004.[3][4]

In February 2014, the company adopted a new strategy, focusing entirely on its flagship product, the software package also named Basecamp, and renaming the company from 37signals to Basecamp.[5][6] Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson have published several books under the 37signals name, and in May 2022, citing their present-day focus on both Basecamp and HEY, reverted to 37signals as their company name.[7]

  1. ^ Caplan, Jeremy (May 17, 2007). "Small Is Essential: With a million users and a payroll of eight, software sensation 37signals excels by doing more with less". Time. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  2. ^ Harris, Melissa (February 5, 2014). "37signals changing name to Basecamp, shedding products". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  3. ^ Harris, Melissa (September 4, 2012). "37signals takes stake in The Starter League". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  4. ^ Park, Andrew (February 25, 2008). "The Brash Boys at 37signals Will Tell You: Keep it Simple, Stupid". Wired. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  5. ^ Kepes, Ben (February 5, 2014). "37Signals No More – Changes Name To Basecamp And Drops All Products But Its Namesake". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  6. ^ Fried, Jason (March 2014). "Why 37signals Refocused on a Single Product: Basecamp". Inc. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "37signals: Hello again". world.hey.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.