What David Heinemeier Hansson thinks about motivation
Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals, and creator of Omarchy.
Everything they publish, on ppll ↗
David Heinemeier Hansson did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
6 dated positions, 2021 to 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what David Heinemeier Hansson has said — not written or endorsed by them.
The shading behind a date shows how recently it was said: full within a month, empty after three years.
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Their wordsSome men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world [bloom].
- 1 day earlier
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Their wordsIt amazes me how alien honest enthusiasm seems to so many people, as if that kind of high could only come from cocaine or other drugs.
- 6 months earlier
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Their wordsThis is not like a limited sale. like AI is going to be here next month and the months after that.
↗DHH’s new way of writing codeyoutube.com 19th of 20 in this recording
- 3 years earlier
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Their wordsDrained by the lack of momentum on moving things forward, not from an intrinsic incapacity for motivation
- 8 weeks earlier
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Their wordsNothing will clog down the momentum and motivation of a software development team like not being able to ship
- 15 months earlier
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Our readingFear and vanity, not a lack of ideas, are what keep most people from building new things.
Their wordsThe intrinsic lure of the work is diminished by the extrinsic reception to the work.
↗Your likes, hearts, and flattering comments are bad for my brainworld.hey.com
The shading behind a date fills in quarters: said within a month, six months, a year, or three years. Empty means more than three years ago. It says when, not whether it still holds — a change of mind is marked on the claim itself.
Striped means we only know the words existed by that date; they may be older.