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How to Create a (Great?) Startup Office Space While Being Absurdly Cheap

dontrepreneur.com

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Re: How to Create a (Great?) Startup Office Space While Being Absurdly Cheap

#2
This article was totally reasonable and interesting until I got to this part:

Employee office chairs – $60 to $80 (must be ergonomic!)

Your office chair – $150 to $200 (it is worth it)

Huh? Now I'm left wondering what else is wrong with this guy.

Re: How to Create a (Great?) Startup Office Space While Being Absurdly Cheap

#4
post #2

This article was totally reasonable and interesting until I got to this part: Employee office chairs – $60 to $80 (must be ergonomic!) Your office chair – $150 to $200 (it is worth it) Huh? Now I'm left wondering what else is wrong with this guy.

Fair enough – the intent was to say as the founder you should splurge on yourself a little – not to say you're providing others with inferior stuff. I was able to find great chairs at an affordable price. When I can afford Aeron chairs for everyone, I would do that!

I removed that part because it takes away from the point of the article.

Re: How to Create a (Great?) Startup Office Space While Being Absurdly Cheap

#5
post #2

This article was totally reasonable and interesting until I got to this part: Employee office chairs – $60 to $80 (must be ergonomic!) Your office chair – $150 to $200 (it is worth it) Huh? Now I'm left wondering what else is wrong with this guy.

Fair enough – the intent was to say as the founder you should splurge on yourself a little – not to say you're providing others with inferior stuff. I was able to find great chairs at an affordable price. When I can afford Aeron chairs for everyone, I would do that! I removed that part because it takes away from the point of the article.

I think that first sentence is profoundly wrongheaded. It's not just unpleasant, it's also penny-wise and pound-foolish. It is very hard to keep employees happy over the long term. Turnover is extremely expensive, and expensive in insidious ways. Employees already think that the founder is getting all sorts of perks that they aren't getting. Making that clearly apparent to everyone by giving yourself better digs is a terrible business move.

I just tracked you down on LinkedIn (we're only 3 hops away!). This is your first company. I'm not on my first company. Let me spare you a lesson I am still gradually learning the hard way: whatever day-to-day pains and frustrations your team is dealing with, you should be sharing.

Take the extra money for the Aeron chair and buy a couple of six packs for the office. I may have just saved you several tens of thousands of dollars with that bit of advice.

Re: How to Create a (Great?) Startup Office Space While Being Absurdly Cheap

#7
post #2

This article was totally reasonable and interesting until I got to this part: Employee office chairs – $60 to $80 (must be ergonomic!) Your office chair – $150 to $200 (it is worth it) Huh? Now I'm left wondering what else is wrong with this guy.

Fair enough – the intent was to say as the founder you should splurge on yourself a little – not to say you're providing others with inferior stuff. I was able to find great chairs at an affordable price. When I can afford Aeron chairs for everyone, I would do that! I removed that part because it takes away from the point of the article.

Employees in this office will have plenty of perks – including $100 travel reimbursement per month, plus free lunch every day. I would not want to hire someone bogged down into such minute details of chairs when the entire space is obviously meant to make it as comfortable for them as possible.

Re: How to Create a (Great?) Startup Office Space While Being Absurdly Cheap

#10
Interesting article, particularly in regards to the tax credit for office spaces (I happen to be in Pittsburgh, might be useful knowledge for the future).

I guess I don't agree with everyone else here, but I think it all came together well and I actually enjoy the color choices

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