37Signals

37signals is a fully distributed company with no physical headquarters; people work from dozens of cities across multiple continents and are free to live and work wherever they choose. See the jobs page and the employee handbook at How We Work for more context.

Teams operate on a shared six‑week cycle with a two‑week cooldown between cycles. The cooldown is used for bug fixes, write-ups, and planning; teams publish a Kickoff for the upcoming cycle and a Heartbeat summarizing completed work.

To keep information flowing asynchronously there are a few regular rituals: a daily check-in question (“What did you work on today?”) asked each afternoon (required at least twice a week), a weekly check-in (“What will you be working on this week?”) asked Monday mornings (required weekly), Kickoffs, and Heartbeats. Check-ins are organized by department so you receive only relevant updates.

Most collaboration is asynchronous: post a message, todo, or document first so others can read on their schedule. When real-time collaboration is needed the company uses pings, video calls, screen-sharing, or occasional in-person work.

Employees are expected to be self-directed — the handbook describes the ideal contributor as a “manager of one.” The company prioritizes a calm, low-distraction environment with fewer meetings and minimal email and maintains a standard 40‑hour work week (reduced to 32 hours in summer) so teams focus on high-impact work.

Regular rituals include an All Hands at the end of each cycle, periodic Everyone on Support shifts so staff stay close to customers, and company meet-ups twice a year (see Our Rituals).

Openings are posted on the company's jobs page; you can sign up there to be notified about future openings or subscribe to the jobs RSS feed. The company states it will not share your email and will only use it for job notifications (jobs).

When evaluating candidates 37signals looks for curious, conscientious, thoughtful, and kind people — the handbook highlights that “Managers of One” tend to thrive. The company says it does not place independent value on a candidate’s background, location, previous employers, or educational credentials; instead the focus is on who you are today and what you can do.

Specific application and interview steps are not listed on the public jobs page; when roles are posted the listing will include how to apply and what to expect. Reading the employee handbook provides additional context about day-to-day expectations and benefits (Benefits & Perks).