37signals Shifts From Ruby to AI Coding After Basecamp 5 Saw Mixed Results
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 24
37signals Shifts From Ruby to AI Coding After Basecamp 5 Saw Mixed Results
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 24
Summary
37signals said it is moving away from Ruby and plans to build everything through AI-agent “vibe-coding,” marking a sharp change in its development approach.
Basecamp 5 trials this spring produced “mixed” results, but David Heinemeier Hansson still framed the shift as the company’s new direction.
The move is notable because Hansson, 37signals’ technology lead and a leading Ruby figure, said last year he avoided AI because he could “feel competence draining” from his fingers.
That reversal underscores how quickly AI coding tools are reshaping software workflows even at companies closely identified with traditional programming languages.