David Heinemeier Hansson

Ruby on Rails creator, best-selling author, and cofounder of Basecamp & HEY

Issue #253 February 9, 2023

About

David Heinemeier Hansson (better known as DHH) is the creator of Ruby on Rails, a best-selling author, and the cofounder of Basecamp and HEY.

He's has been working remotely for two decades, long before it was fashionable and trendy, which makes his workspace one we'd been wanting to highlight for a while.

When we finally caught his attention, he shared a photo of his Malibu home office.

Yes, the home office with the famous Catalina Island view which has gone viral countless times now, seen by millions of people.

But as DHH is quick to point out, the view is the second best thing about the room. The best thing is what happens on the desk.

Here's a look at the setup, what he thinks about remote work, and how he balances multiple projects at once.

Gear

2 items

Keyboard Apple Magic Keyboard Buy

Mouse Apple Magic Mouse Buy

Software

2 apps

Basecamp

HEY

Interview

3 questions

› What does your typical day look like?

Early mornings are spent getting kids to school. I usually sit down to work around 8:30. Then it's typically an hour or so catching up on emails, reports, whatever. Then the very best days are entirely free from there to dive into interesting, challenging projects, preferably programming or writing.

› What do you think are the main benefits of remote work in 2023?

I've been working remotely for twenty years, and the benefits remain the same for me. The freedom to live wherever, to work from a home office that provides complete calm for focus, and to enjoy the flexibility of being literally next door to the family during the day. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

› How do you personally balance work between multiple ongoing projects?

I try to work in seasons. Some seasons are dedicated to programming others to writing and others still to working on the business itself. Multitasking is a mirage. All humans can do is thrash. So keeping just one main project on the plate at the time is the key to going quickly.