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What advice would you give to a new start-up?

Focus on your employees first. A great idea or product will only go as far as your employees are willing to take it.

How would you describe your company culture in three words?

Technology-driven startup.

What do you think is the most important quality for an office to have?

An open concept floor plan provides better team collaboration and communication. As an IT and Development heavy company, communication is paramount to our success.

What is office improvement you or your team have made to help everyone work smarter?

We just expanded to a new floor in our office. We originally took half of a floor in our three-floor building, now we control two and a half of the three floors. Our new floor is open concept and tech-minded to enhance the feeling and comfort. Our Autonomous desks and chairs are a big portion of that look and feel. Also, we standardized our desk set-up (same dual monitor arm mounts, docking stations, cable trays, etc) in a way that made the space more uniform looking and also increased efficiency for each employee to choose how they wanted to work at their desks.

Did you look to any particular businesses when thinking about developing your company culture?

We based our office feel off of the greats in Silicon Valley like Google as well as local tech startups in the area. We have a full gym in our office for employees to use. We have a dual tap kegerator with two types of beer for employees. ‘ The idea is to create a work environment that is inviting and encourages employees to stay around longer and enjoy their time at work.’

Do you promote health and well-being in your office? If so- how?

We have a full gym in our office to encourage health and wellness.

Do you actively encourage the social aspect of your office? If so how?

We have free beer on tap to encourage social interaction after work hours. This creates an inviting atmosphere for people to linger in.

Why did you choose to use the SmartDesk in your offices?

As a development heavy tech company, we wanted to give our employees the flexibility to work how they’re most comfortable. For that reason, a transitional desk was important to create that “custom” workspace feel for people. The SmartDesk was the best height adjustable sit and stand desk that I could find and we are loving it.

Do you have any particular practices or tools (eg. app’s) for encouraging and enhancing productivity?

We have two conference rooms and multiple small “break-out” rooms to encourage collaboration and communication. We also have our desks together in groups of six to encourage better open conversations and dialog.

Have you found any particular challenges with your office set-up as you have grown?

Because we have grown so large, we span three floors in our office, so inter-department communication can suffer when different departments are on different floors. A lot gets done in email because of it.

What do you think it means to innovate in your office space today?

To get away from the “old style” of thinking and focus on employee morale and enjoyment. To listen to the people at the company that make it great and help it grow.

What are your worst office habits? Do you have any guilty pleasure in your office - cake days or Friday drinks?

Someone usually brings in treats (like doughnuts) once a week or so. It’s not standardized and it’s usually paid for by employees, but it definitely helps morale. The Kegerator helps as well!

Any favorite office stories you’d like to share with us (and the world)?

The best part about the Autonomous desk is the wide open space below that gives ample space to store and mount Nerf guns with quick access. You never know when a spontaneous company-wide Nerf war will break out and quick access to your mounted guns is critical.

What do you hope to see in offices in the future?

I would like to see Conference room tables from Autonomous. We have two large table conference rooms and multiple small breakout rooms that need small round tables that can sit or stand.