Ask HN: What are some Bay Area startups that don't use an open office plan? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What are some Bay Area startups that don't use an open office plan?

#71

Post by geoelectric » Fri, Aug 29, 2014, 9:52 PM UTC

icpmacdo wrote: post #28

colinloretz wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Check out the various levels of headphones on The Wirecutter. http://thewirecutter.com/leaderboard/headphones/ I use the Sony MDR-7506 which are rated as the best $150 Over Ear Headphones (actually $90ish on Amazon) and they are very popular with audio pros. Not noise canceling but they are comfortable enough for wearing all day and if you're listening to something, you don't have sound leaking in or out.

I have them also, you might want to look to get some replacement ear pads http://www.amazon.com/Beyerdynamic-Velour-Earcushions-MDR750...

Yes, the ear pads are a big improvement on the V6s/7506s for sure.

Re: Ask HN: What are some Bay Area startups that don't use an open office plan?

#72

Post by geoelectric » Fri, Aug 29, 2014, 9:57 PM UTC

frankwiles wrote: post #5

11001 wrote: post #2

A somewhat related question: I'm about to start a job at a company with "open office" structure, after having my own office for the last 4 years. Anything I should be prepared for? EDIT: Any headphones suggestions?

Buy some really nice noise canceling headphones is definitely top of the preparation list. You'll be wearing them 80+% of your day.

Unless you fly or are muting HVAC or server room sounds, I haven't found that noise-cancelling headphones are superior to isolating (close-backed circumaurals or in-ear monitors). NC doesn't work well for voices, and the extra expense tends to put them into "I'm too paranoid to keep them on my desk" category.

I'd save the $$$ and just go for a nice pair of isolating ones.

I've also become a huge fan of wireless headphones for the added mobility--I switch between a few different computers and monitors, and not wrapping myself up in the wire is worth a slight hit in the sound.

Sony MDR-10RBTs are an excellent model for the price, hella light and comfortable, don't leak much sound out or in, and sound quite decent with Bluetooth AAC/AptX enabled (I listen to rock, metal, industrial, pop, dance, rap--can't speak much for classical, jazz, etc.)

Re: Ask HN: What are some Bay Area startups that don't use an open office plan?

#73

Post by avalaunch » Sat, Aug 30, 2014, 5:44 AM UTC

71 comments so far and only 2 people actually answered the question and they both said the same company: Circle CI.

Personally I'm more interested in the answer to the question posed than a debate on the merits of an open office plan vs closed so if anyone else knows of any other startups that don't use an open office plan I would love to know. I imagine others clicking into this conversation are probably interested too.

Re: Ask HN: What are some Bay Area startups that don't use an open office plan?

#74

Post by hnriot » Mon, Sep 01, 2014, 10:07 PM UTC

sheepmullet wrote: post #61

hnriot wrote: post #20

What I find is that the people that work for me are much more distracted by FB and the plethora of other web distractions than other developers.

Have you ever considered that FB, HN, etc are the way people cope with the extra stress, distraction, and low level anxiety of working in an open plan office? When I work from home I don't waste time on these distractions like I do when I'm in the office.

I have considered that, but I don't buy it for one moment. Open plan offices have many advantages, you just need to hire people that are mature enough to deal with it. People who can self regulate. I don't mind some time spent on FB and HN etc, I think the latter is actually a net-positive, there are technologies that osmotically people become familiar with through reading about people's experiences. But FB is 100% a waste of time. Corporate IT don't block it, they just measure it and provide management reports on it's usage.