Managing vs. Mentoring

What It Covers

37signals operates with zero full-time managers among 60 employees, relying instead on mentorship where senior programmers (L4-L5) teach junior developers company values, decision-making frameworks, and technical skills through code reviews and one-on-one sessions.

Key Questions Answered

• •Mentorship vs Management Structure: Senior programmers mentor juniors on values and decision-making rather than managing performance metrics or attendance. Mentors teach why decisions matter through live code reviews, not tactical instructions, making their role eventually obsolete as mentees internalize company values.
• •Hiring for Autonomy: 37signals specifically seeks entrepreneurs who have run their own businesses or built products independently. Candidates must demonstrate self-direction and comfort making thousands of micro-decisions without approval chains, as the company operates without project managers validating choices.
• •Fixed Deadline Variable Scope: Teams work with fixed two-to-three week deadlines that define feature value, requiring programmers and designers to independently trim scope rather than push deadlines. This demands senior-level judgment about what cuts preserve core value without needing management approval.
• •Live Code Review Teaching: Effective mentorship happens through synchronous Zoom sessions reviewing pull requests together, not just written GitHub comments. Live discussion allows mentors to explain competing values and trade-offs conversationally, preventing mentees from blindly copying suggestions without understanding underlying reasoning.