Yep. That’s basically Basecamp’s philosophy and it’s worked pretty damn well for them.
Considering there’s a near-zero chance you won’t be starting the next Facebook or Stripe, “Don’t grow” is a great philosophy. If you do happen to hit that 0.1%, congratulations you’ve got money to tear everything down and rewrite it in the JavaScript framework du jour.
> Considering there’s a near-zero chance you won’t be starting the next Facebook or Stripe
This is like gym beginners worrying they'll get too bulky overnight. You don't want to start with a don't grow philosophy. That's a thing to think when you are big enough.
I’d say it’s the opposite. Choosing Rails is understanding what is important. To follow on your metaphor, beginners worrying about becoming too bulky should be worrying about getting adequate nutrition and rest; the basics. That’s Rails.
You can start with a Don’t Grow mentality. I have, and it’s working out great. My company makes choices based on that principle, and we’re profitable. But we understand that we don’t want to be a huge corporate conglomeration and never will be.
Considering there’s a near-zero chance you won’t be starting the next Facebook or Stripe, “Don’t grow” is a great philosophy. If you do happen to hit that 0.1%, congratulations you’ve got money to tear everything down and rewrite it in the JavaScript framework du jour.