Why Would I Want to Work for Your Startup?
Free food, ping pong tables, pool tables, rock climbing, free doctor checkups, oil changes, car washes, free haircuts, swimming pools, and even a shuttle service fully equipped with wireless internet access that’ll pick you up and drop you back home after work.
That’s it, I’m quitting being an entrepreneur and going to work for Google! Yeah, the above luxuries are all a part of the Google experience for each and every employee.
Ok, I kid… I kid… I’m staying an entrepreneur and not going to work for Google, but talk about benefits, eh? These are the types of benefits that make people — the rest of corporate Americans — feel live they’re in slavery.
People working at Google truly appreciate these benefits. In fact, for some employees, it was the reason that they took the job. This 23 year-old programmer’s decision to work at Google was partly based upon their shuttle service:
Michael Gaiman, a 23-year-old Web applications engineer who lives in San Francisco and was recently hired, said he turned down an offer from Apple before accepting the job at Google. “It definitely was a factor,” Gaiman said of the shuttle.
What can we learn from Google? We can learn to make our work environments fun, relaxed, and chill. When employees — or partners in most of our cases — are happy where they work, then productivity and overall mood enhances. Days seem brighter and work seems lighter.
Here are some ideas that you may want to consider:
Games, Toys, and Fun
Liven things up and install a pool table or pong table in your office. Something to have fun with and take a break from things. Clear your head. Have some fun. Relax those muscles. You may want to install a Wii and play some tennis. Oh, and on the weekends, have a beer pong tournament – who doesn’t like beer pong?
Food! Food! Food!
Provide some free food every once in a while. Order a pizza. Get some takeout. Take everyone out to lunch. People always appreciate a meal and will love the person — or company — that feeds them. Even if it’s as small as brining in some candy or snacks to munch on, it’ll pull a smile on their faces.
Events, Parties, Gatherings
Round up the team and get the hell out of the office. Take a day or an entire weekend and go to an event, have a party, go clubbing, drink some wine, go to Six Flags, whatever. It doesn’t matter. Just get out and do something together. Have the company cover the expenses. When you do things together, you’ll become a tighter team.
Have any ideas to share about making the work environment fun and a better place to work? Share your stories with the Mind Petals Community.
14 Comments
Lawrence of a USA
March 20th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
i agree…in spite of all those great perks some companies offer - Nothing beats running your own company. at the end of the day, after all the bootstrapping, ups and downs, - it’s all worth it - to say you’re running this startup
in regards to the subject in the article, deciding working for either apple or google…everyone knows steve jobs is a bitchy boss. but it’s amazing how he turned the company around to make it what it is today.
i’ve read about google’s perks elsewhere…they are truly amazing, and that’s not an overstatement either. it’s like having a gym, a cook, a mechanic, etc etc by your side. they literally have everything to pamper their employees…it’s simply amazing the perks google employees get.
David Askaripour
March 20th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
Yeah, nothing like living the life of a young entrepreneur with no bureaucratic bosses breathing fire down your back — hated that!
One word for Steve Jobs: Brilliant.
Google is doing amazing with their perks — other companies can learn from that.
Brian
March 20th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Great post Dave. I think it’s particularly useful for we entrepreneurs in the sense that it reminds us how important it is to leverage fringe benefits - because people work for more than money.
Consider that Google’s gross profit last year was somewhere on the order of $6 B. They could absorb nearly any employee’s paycheck to afford the right talent. Still, they win the favor of their workers by consciously considering what they like in a work environment, and by structuring their work to suit.
But make no mistake - Google employees make a boatload.
But the company affords the top talent (at top value) by leveraging its nack for creative compensation.
Lee Semel
March 20th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Thanks for posting my picture under “events/parties”!
Lawrence of a USA
March 21st, 2007 at 12:01 am
what event is that picture of…why are you all wearing name tags - lol?
can’t you just approach the person and start a conversation - you must call them by their first name first?
that must be david, off to the right - with those signature black-rimmed glasses lol , right?
David Askaripour
March 21st, 2007 at 12:35 am
Sure thing, Lee
Yup, that’s me! This was an event called DarrenCamp in NYC, by Darren Herman.
Lawrence of a USA
March 21st, 2007 at 12:49 am
lol…the event was called DarrenCamp? he’s reached the mogul level, that he can name tech events after himself - lol, kidding kidding…don’t get defensive now
(i’m from the opposite coast, so i don’t really follow local eastcoast events)
is the phrase “silicon alley” still active in NY? or did that die down with the bubble?
Brian
March 21st, 2007 at 10:38 am
Alive and kickin, Lawrence.
David Askaripour
March 21st, 2007 at 10:38 am
Darren is the man… here’s his event info http://www.darrencamp.org/
If you are ever in Silicon Alley, feel free to attend one of his events.
BTW, I’ll be joining the Silicon “Valley” in about 3 months or so
Lawrence of a USA
March 21st, 2007 at 4:50 pm
david…you’re moving to the south san francisco area/ silicon valley?
what’s your logic behind the move?
David Askaripour
March 21st, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Yeah, I’m off to Cally in June.
I’m leaning towards to Northern section of SF — The Mission District area. However, many of my tech friends tell me to move to the Peninsula area (Redwood, Palo Alto, etc..)
What’s the logic? Simple: SF area kills NYC when it comes to young people doing creative things. It’s a better environment to connect to young entrepreneurs who share similar interests, i.e., web ventures. Also, I am planning to push forward with a few new ventures once I get out there. I’m in talks with people who may join my team out there.
Lawrence of a USA
March 21st, 2007 at 6:30 pm
are any of these ventures of yours, david - vc-backed?
if so, i’d imagine it’s essential to be headquarted in the bay area. or whereever your vc is headquarted.
if not, i guess it couldn’t hurt to be there anyways - if you plan to launch a dot com.
being in a tech-friendly city can help in keeping you motivated and excited…but always keep in mind of the co.s users - it’s customers first. then grow from there
if you don’t mind me asking, david…what sector is your future co./serves in?
what does it do - who are it’s customers, etc
lol - i’d imagine you’re feeling somewhat insecure right about now…i’d imagine you’d be tightlip about your concept…
David Askaripour
March 21st, 2007 at 7:08 pm
So you would suggest that I move to the south bay area (stanford, palo alto, redwood)regardless. That’s interesting, people been telling me that’s where the “action” is and SF doesn’t have as many “inside” people. True? BTW, where do you live?
Lawrence of a USA
March 21st, 2007 at 7:53 pm
i’m in san diego, ca
i don’t really buy that argument…that to be successful as a dot com you must reside in the bay area, or another tech-savvy city.
it helps: sure, to a certain extent - but by no means, significantly
i mean this is the Web. where everything is done and can be done from anywhere - hello.
just because you live in palo alto and you run a startup web co…that doesn’t mean you’re automatically in the loop and can have lunch with vc’s and major tech co. founders and ceo’s
…lol
Leave a Comment