37signals Employee Handbook

Moonlighting refers to working other professional, paid jobs outside of 37signals. The policy aims to support personal growth and side pursuits while ensuring they do not create conflicts of interest or negatively impact performance, time, or dedication to 37signals.

Guiding Principles

When evaluating if a side pursuit is acceptable, consider these four questions:

• Is it competitive?
• Does it occupy a disproportionate amount of your time?
• Does it require you to be away during times when you’re needed at work?
• Is it another paid gig that employs the same skills 37signals is paying you for?

If you are in doubt about a specific situation, reach out to your manager or contact Jason or David.

Employees are expected to practice high levels of self-management. Being a 'manager of one' means:

• Setting your own direction when one is not explicitly provided.
• Determining what needs to be done and executing it without waiting for direct instructions.

Dash serves as the central hub for:

• Logging: Investigating slow requests or email delivery status.
• Reporting: Accessing data such as support case volume or device usage statistics.
• Application Health: Monitoring response times and job queue exceptions.

37signals uses specific managed environments for development and support to ensure security.

• macOS: Managed centrally via Kandji. Kandji applies standard configurations (disk encryption, firewall, password rules) and installs essential apps like EncryptMe. It also handles security updates and remote wiping.
• Linux: Uses Omarchy, which includes standard configurations like full-disk encryption and firewalls. Access to credentials is managed via 1password, and access to internal systems is controlled via Tailscale VPN.
• Unmanaged Devices (Android, iOS/iPadOS, Windows): These are considered 'untrusted'. You may install BC4 and HEY apps to access work projects and email, but you must not store 37signals code or secrets on these devices.

Queenbee is the internal system for invoice, accounting, and identity management. It allows users to look up customer accounts, check comp status, refund invoices, and login as a customer.

Security Policy: Accessing customer accounts via 'login as a customer' requires explicit permission. Never login as a customer preemptively; customer confidentiality must be honored at all times.

Work at 37signals follows a fixed cadence to maintain urgency and manage project scope:

• Cycles: 6-week periods where teams approach feature and product development with predefined scope and budget.
• Cooldown: A 2-week period between cycles used for fixing bugs, documenting completed work, and planning the next cycle. Large batch projects should ideally be avoided during this time.

The 37signals Employee Handbook contains all company policies, benefits, and cultural information. You can read the live version on the official website or follow changes via the GitHub repository.

Key Instructions for New Employees:

• Review all sections of the handbook to understand expectations and company offerings.
• Stay updated on changes by monitoring the GitHub repository, as the handbook is updated periodically.
• For questions regarding handbook content, contact the People Ops team or your manager.

Before starting, request a new computer with your required specifications and necessary accessories (e.g., external keyboard, mouse, or display).

Hardware Requirements:

• Ops, SIP, or Ruby Product developers: Must run Omarchy.
• All other roles: May run either Omarchy or a Mac.