37signals has hired a full time filmmaker to document its every move

This story has taken on a life of its own.<p>Let me clarify: There's no reality show.<p>We're doing the same thing we've always done - we're just bringing it in house. We used to outsource the shooting, editing, and production. Now we hired someone in house to do this for us.<p>We've been making videos for years.<p>From trailers for our book REWORK: <a href="http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2137-rework-trailer-1-staying-late" rel="nofollow">http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2137-rework-trailer-1-staying...</a><p>To parodies of political ads: <a href="http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2209-karl-roves-book-vs-rework-what-the-american-people-need-to-know" rel="nofollow">http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2209-karl-roves-book-vs-rewor...</a><p>To interviews with founders: <a href="http://37signals.com/founderstories/slicehost" rel="nofollow">http://37signals.com/founderstories/slicehost</a><p>To customer stories: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEoAN06Nllk" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEoAN06Nllk</a><p>I hope this helps erase the sensationalism and wild speculation.

Every time the 37signals topic ends up on the table, people talk about how they went against the flow, how they are not running on huge funding round and basically how they are an exception.<p>Let me get this straight. Huge funding rounds is the exception. Startup is the exception.<p>I work on OpenSource stuff everyday, get to play with the same technology as the next startup guy and I'm very proud of calling my company (ie. the one I work for) a Company. I'm proud and happy to have the chance to participate in growing this company and our technology and it's a battle of every contract.<p>There are millions of us.

&#60;I'm sorry&#62; The first thing that crossed my mind when I read the headline was "The Office."<p>However, it isn't a bad approach to marketing. Considering that many of their users are captive - i.e. are required to use their product by their employer - showing the thought that goes into their product is likely to create buy-in among the worker bees of 37signals' customers.

It used to be a golden rule for investors that they should see signs of needless ostentation (e.g. a fountain in reception, limos for all executives) as a danger signal. Excuse the pun but making a film about yourself does not send out a good, signal about 37signals.

I know this sounds over the top, but 500 Startups hires <a href="http://www.micro-documentaries.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.micro-documentaries.com/</a> to shoot for them all the time. I'm sure at some point it's cheaper to hire a full time person than constantly be hiring out to a shop.

I'm not sure if this is complete egotistical wankery, or awesome.<p>I'll get back to you after I watch the movie.

Here is more detail about their goals w/ this move:<p><a href="http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2980-were-looking-to-hire-a-filmmaker" rel="nofollow">http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2980-were-looking-to-hire-a-f...</a>

Joel did that with Aardvark'd. A single feature-length movie was fine, but I'm not sure if people who are (mostly) sitting at their desks are the best subject for an ongoing series...

This brings to mind the documentary "Startup.com", where the startup GovWorks.com brought in a film crew to document their success. Hopefully it goes better this time - GovWorks ended up going bankrupt in the 2000 tech bubble collapse, which makes for an interesting movie but wasn't the ending they were expecting.

I hope you do more like the Ryan Singer play by play peepcode videos.<p>Those were some of the best I've seen

<p><pre><code> The plan? To release approximately 25 videos over the course of the next year sharing 37signals' stories inside the office and out. </code></pre> Sounds like a reality tv show to me. Something like Pawn Stars or Orange County Choppers.

This is a brilliant PR move.