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Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

news.airbnb.com

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Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#141

Post by baskethead »

I work at a fully remote company. To be honest, I don't like it very much. I like that I don't have to commute, but I pay for it in lost productivity waiting to hear back from my coworkers when I have questions. What would normally be a 5 mins conversation turns into pinging on chat, setting up a meeting, and then chatting at a further time. Collaboration is much harder and the rate of doing work is much slower.

If companies are okay with this, then it's the "new normal" I suppose, but I can understand why Apple and Google want people face to face. If I knew I could go into work twice a week and meet with my team, I would enjoy that, but my team is global so it will never happen. It's definitely a weird experience.

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#142

Post by sateesh »

galaxyLogic wrote: post #123
carlivar wrote: post #71

I like that he specifically mentioned open floor plans. This is the number one reason why I don't want to return to the office. I kinda do want to go back. But I need my privacy and some quiet. I can't do the open floor plan ever again.

I went to this office one day a week. But guys in the neighboring cubicles were playing soccer. Not all day but during times of the day. They seriously had a soccer-ball they played with. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry but it was definitely a detriment to productivity. Collaboration. Soccer yeah

You could request them to not to play and be quiet, right.

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#143

Post by paulcole »

aaomidi wrote: post #39
pc86 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The short answer is no, they haven't. Payroll for something like this is a huge pain in the ass if you're not at this kind of scale. You end up just hiring people as contractors, which has its own set of problems (namely the fact that you can't just do that because it's easier, they have to actually be contractors and not employees).

Or you literally just use a PEO and let them handle it for you. It's not that hard.

In the US, the tricky/potentially expensive part is understanding what labor laws you need to adhere to and what taxation issues you might be creating when you hire someone in a new jurisdiction.

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#144

Post by sateesh »

asiachick wrote: post #133
vmception wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot of founders and their friends are using the office as a replacement for a healthier separate social circle and social life that they lack (a lot of people lack that, and they do too), so for them they're really just hanging out and like the potential for “increased collaboration” for that reason

(1) Healthiest = great social circle at work that bleeds into social circle out of work (2) Less healthy = great social circle at work, separate great social circle outside of work (3) Even less healthy = no social circle at work (just a job), great social circle outside work (4) Worse = great social circle at work, no social circle outside of work (I never seen this situation. If you have a great social circle at wo…

I would put your choice (2) to be the healthiest. In my experience when you change jobs the social circle from work gradually atrophies.

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#145

Post by fshbbdssbbgdd »

carlivar wrote: post #71

I like that he specifically mentioned open floor plans. This is the number one reason why I don't want to return to the office. I kinda do want to go back. But I need my privacy and some quiet. I can't do the open floor plan ever again.

These days I’ve found the office is so empty that none of the normal downsides apply. It seems like an unstable equilibrium because why would they keep paying rent for this giant office but I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#146

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

asiachick wrote: post #133
vmception wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot of founders and their friends are using the office as a replacement for a healthier separate social circle and social life that they lack (a lot of people lack that, and they do too), so for them they're really just hanging out and like the potential for “increased collaboration” for that reason

(1) Healthiest = great social circle at work that bleeds into social circle out of work (2) Less healthy = great social circle at work, separate great social circle outside of work (3) Even less healthy = no social circle at work (just a job), great social circle outside work (4) Worse = great social circle at work, no social circle outside of work (I never seen this situation. If you have a great social circle at wo…

Your rankings make no sense to me. I don't understand why you deem someone who has separate social circles inside and outside of work as "less healthy".

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#147

Post by idontpost »

asiachick wrote: post #133
vmception wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot of founders and their friends are using the office as a replacement for a healthier separate social circle and social life that they lack (a lot of people lack that, and they do too), so for them they're really just hanging out and like the potential for “increased collaboration” for that reason

(1) Healthiest = great social circle at work that bleeds into social circle out of work (2) Less healthy = great social circle at work, separate great social circle outside of work (3) Even less healthy = no social circle at work (just a job), great social circle outside work (4) Worse = great social circle at work, no social circle outside of work (I never seen this situation. If you have a great social circle at wo…

I'll be #5 no matter what. At least WFH I can see my daughter when I'm not working.

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#148

Post by peanuty1 »

muglug wrote: post #6

If this becomes the norm then it's the end of SF as a tech hub. A big move for a company paying the sorts of salaries it does.

It's not going to be the norm for a while. MAGA aka The Big 4 have all announced RTO plans for the majority of their workforce.

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#149

Post by barry-cotter »

pkdpic wrote: post #128

Ive worked for a coding bootcamp since before covid. We used to be in person only and Ive gotten to see the ups and downs of the full-remote transition for at this point hundreds of jr devs entering the field. Long story short everything I thought would get negative blowback or go up in flames didnt. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and it never does. Our students work through around 1000 hours of computer s…

Which boot camp do you work for?

Re: Airbnb’s design to live and work anywhere

#150

Post by virtualwhys »

xtracto wrote: post #96
jcims wrote: post #65

When does the definition of talent extend beyond developers and system architects and product delivery? Airbnb’s support organization, particularly with respect to guest advocacy, is abhorrent. I was just recently in a situation where a host rejected the rental price after booking, and convinced the support team that i agreed to the adjusted price, which was then charged against my card. (To be fair there was some me…

Something similar happened to me this last February: I had a 5 week rental in Baja Sur (Mexico). Due to a serious medical emergency (covid booster vaccine gave me ischemic lacunar stroke) I was hospitalized 2 days before my trip and hence had to cancel it. You can imagine, in the middle of the hospital brain fog and all, I just cancelled through the standard process without thinking twice. Days later after I was stab…

That's a bargain, $2k for 5 weeks in Baja Sur?

I've been near Todos Santos since January and the prices on Airbnb are, frankly, ludicrous for monthly rentals.

But then again that's the new normal, sky high rents everywhere.

Hopefully the infection hasn't spread to India, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.

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