37signals Showcases Our Use of Basecamp

This is the part they showcased on the product blog:

First things first – we have a Basecamp project called “/root.” – This is where we brain-dump all of our internal information. All company-wide milestones, messages, writeboards, files and to-do lists go in the /root project. This allows us to never have to worry about making things private. It gives our core team complete freedom when working or adding items to /root. Plus, it allows us to say things like “throw it up in root!”

It’s a highly efficient way of organizing and disseminating information. For example, let’s say we are working on four different products. Each product will have its own partners, clients and external members that will need access to certain pieces of information. While this is fine and dandy for those working within the individual projects, our core team can’t be walking on egg-shells when entering new to-do list items, milestones, writeboards or messages. As designers, developers and engineers, we don’t have time to sit there and think, “should our partners see this? – should our clients see this?” – This is why everything goes in /root.

One great thing about Basecamp is that it doesn’t force you to enter pieces of meta-data that may later need to change. Say I want to enter a milestone for SoulPancake or MacBlogz into our internal /root project. We simply put “SP:” or “MB:” in front of the item, and we all know which project or product it belongs to. Same with to-do items, messages, writeboards and everything else in the /root project. This is why it’s so efficient. All the information our core team needs is in /root (in one place), and our clients and partners can access the information they need by logging into their individual projects.

This isn’t the first time 37signals was kind enough to showcase our work. Back in October (2009), they spotlighted our use of Basecamp in an ABC/Nightline piece that aired entirely about SoulPancake.com.