When Work Tools Get Complicated, Basecamp Stays Simple

I’ve been a Basecamp customer for quite some time now.

Every now and then, someone says, “You should really look at Notion.”

I get why they say it.
But I also know why I don’t.

Simple still wins

Basecamp is easy to use.
Not easy after a setup phase.
Not easy once you buy a template.

Just easy.

You open it and you know what it’s for.

It’s an all-in-one digital workspace for individuals and teams.
Projects.
Messages.
Notes.
Knowledge bases.
Storage.

Everything you need.
Nothing you don’t.

When flexibility becomes friction

The conversation around other tools always seems to drift towards templates.

Who’s selling them.
Which ones you need.
How to stitch them together.

That’s the giveaway.

When a tool needs a marketplace to explain itself, you’re no longer working.
You’re configuring.

Instead of doing the job, you’re building a system to maybe do the job later.

That’s not progress. That’s distraction.

Software should calm things down

Basecamp doesn’t ask you to design your own workflow universe.

It makes decisions so you don’t have to.

Here’s where conversations live.
Here’s where work goes.
Here’s how teams stay aligned.

Then it steps back.

That restraint matters.

Basecamp 5 is coming

With Basecamp 5 on the horizon, I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what changes come next.

Not because I’m hoping it turns into something else.
But because I trust the direction.

A few refinements.
Maybe some thoughtful additions.
Nothing for the sake of noise.

That’s usually how it goes.

Built by people who get it

The team at 37signals understand something a lot of software companies forget.

Good software respects your time.
Great software stays out of your way.

Reliable, obvious tools don’t trend on social media.
They quietly help people get work done.

And that’s why I’m still here.

Checkout Basecamp here.