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My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

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11–20 of 76 posts

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#11

Everyone likes to blame loose VC money for silly stuff like this, but I have a slightly more nuanced theory about ridiculous office perks: Office managers/office teams have very few concrete metrics. Beyond a binary "is the office functional" (e.g. are there enough desks, does the electricity work) there is pretty much no way to measure job performance. That's not to say their work doesn't have any impact. Anyone who…

> you should invent some performance metric

profitability and growth

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#13
His comments on the radiator grill aren't fair. The temperature of steam won't exceed 100 degrees C which some plastics are fine with. And the downward slope is to stop spilt water dripping inside. The fan (if it's working after that error!) will push the air through enough.

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#14

Everyone likes to blame loose VC money for silly stuff like this, but I have a slightly more nuanced theory about ridiculous office perks: Office managers/office teams have very few concrete metrics. Beyond a binary "is the office functional" (e.g. are there enough desks, does the electricity work) there is pretty much no way to measure job performance. That's not to say their work doesn't have any impact. Anyone who…

> you should invent some performance metric profitability and growth

That's not something that is measurable for office managers.

I don't think office managers need metrics - just a suggestion box. Most thinks are really obvious, especially if you let people tell you about them.

I guarantee if the had a suggestion box nobody would suggest an IoT water cooler.

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#15
post #4

As I get older, I really wonder why people do this to other people. In this case, I'm talking about the manufacturer of this product. They know other human beings are going to spend a lot of money to use their products? It's important to make money, but at what consequence?

It's like evolution. Why does some weird, seemingly useless creature exist? Because it fills some crack in the ecological economy. Someone was willing to buy this piece of shit and that is explanation enough for its existence.

I read about apples exported from China, covered in a toxic paint so they look red and beautiful, even though it is harmful, all to make a buck. I just wonder why humans have not evolved to, at a minimum, actually show some caring attitude toward others of their same species.

I think we're all doomed.

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#16
I'm a customer of Bevi. I got it for our office after seeing it in another startup.

I think Bevi is pretty great - cuts down on La Croix can wastage at the office.

Some things could be improved: sometimes it runs out of CO2 and everything comes out flat.

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#17
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like evolution. Why does some weird, seemingly useless creature exist? Because it fills some crack in the ecological economy. Someone was willing to buy this piece of shit and that is explanation enough for its existence.

I read about apples exported from China, covered in a toxic paint so they look red and beautiful, even though it is harmful, all to make a buck. I just wonder why humans have not evolved to, at a minimum, actually show some caring attitude toward others of their same species. I think we're all doomed.

Humans are capable of both wonderful and terrible things. We're letting the ones who are willing to do terrible things for personal gain run wild with little accountability.

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> you should invent some performance metric profitability and growth

That's not something that is measurable for office managers. I don't think office managers need metrics - just a suggestion box. Most thinks are really obvious, especially if you let people tell you about them. I guarantee if the had a suggestion box nobody would suggest an IoT water cooler.

I gave some suggestions to the manager of the cowork space where I go. She was very friendly and said yes thank you, but it was clearly not what she thought to be important. So no real improvements. Even though others tell me the same (and also switch to the much cheaper plan because that is the more rational thing to do then).

So suggestions only work if it clicks with the other person (people). One guy asking an IoT water cooler could do the trick ;-)

Re: My company signed up for a $1000/year subscription-based water cooler

#20

Everyone likes to blame loose VC money for silly stuff like this, but I have a slightly more nuanced theory about ridiculous office perks: Office managers/office teams have very few concrete metrics. Beyond a binary "is the office functional" (e.g. are there enough desks, does the electricity work) there is pretty much no way to measure job performance. That's not to say their work doesn't have any impact. Anyone who…

The pricing on that plant doesn't really seem that bad considering it includes delivery. Shipping alone on that is probably $200+.
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