David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried of 37signals created Ruby on Rails, a successful software template that powered an increasing number of hot Internet applications, and they dont want to change their Web 2.0-defining software tools. Speaking to 300 software developers at the first Ruby on Rails conference in Vancouver a couple years ago, Hansson was viewed as not only a programmer but also a visionary, celebrity, and philosopher-king whose minimalist ethos suggested a new manner of thinking about software and business. Hansson congratulated the Ruby on Rails community, mentioning a variety of impressive accomplishments by the company as well his own personal and prestigious Hacker of the Year title. Critics insisted that the company was not versatile enough, that Rails could not handle large amounts of traffic, and that Hansson himself was arrogant. Within two years of delivering that message in Vancouver, however, Hansson and his partners at 37signals have backed up their big talk, continuing the companys run of popularity. Hansson and Fried have refused to grow their company, strengthen their products, or explain their plans for the future. Critics now argue that the pairs reactionary embrace of minimalism has made their products less useful and could cost them influence, consumers, and millions of dollars. The defining characteristic of Ruby on Rails is speed, and in exchange for that speed, programmers accept a Hansson-knows-best approach to software design. Rails provides developers with a set of configurations that allows them to bypass the busywork, making Rails ideal for rapidly creating lean, sparsely designed web-based applications. Industry insiders have started to question the basic philosophy that web-based mini-applications are inherently better than their bulkier yet stronger competitors. However, that is heresy to Fried, Hansson, and their followers, who would rather fail than adapt in doing it their own way.