Science Breaks Free – Startup Portrait #1: Microryza
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But it's obvious that the idea of using a residential apartment (won't even get into zoning etc.) and a living quarters that cramped isn't a long term solution to a business.
Nice gimmick but I would question if this were replicated 100 times how many setups like these would yield positive results as opposed to the obvious problems with living like this and working in close quarters.
Add: With respect to what I said about "long term" yes it's obvious that it's short term but it seems as if the hype makes it out to be a mid term solution
"The team claims the environment helps them make decisions fast, and I got the feeling they wouldn't have it any other way"
...rather than just a curiosity.
I completely agree it's not a long term solution, but I got the feeling from being with the team for two days that it might work in the mid term. The situation wouldn't be right for the vast majority of founders, but the team gets along better than any I've worked with.
The biggest downside is probably the impact on recruiting for senior employees, especially folks from academia. There might be bigger cultural issues with those types of people though.
What does that even mean?
Do you really find it surprising that there at people that wouldn't like to work in somebody's one-bedroom basement apartment?
Are all those people necessarily "corporate stooges"? Really?
Who am I working with? Am I comfortable with those same people having free access to my person and belongings while I sleep?
Do I trust these folks not to do something stupid that could damage the capital while partying? (I once had somebody spill a beer into an SGI workstation because we were using an apartment as an office, and one of our dudes threw a party.)
Can we deal with the weird interpersonal dynamics that spring up in a group of mixed sexes that is also collaborating on a business--presumably the same one paying rent?
Do I have a place I can go to to get away from work/home if needed on a reliable basis? Is it going to cost me all my money?
What's "weird" about a nightly orgy?
I think that having a community is very important in making any business venture--I would be unsurprised to see this emerge as a pattern in entrepreneurial ventures for folks our age.
Haha—the idea has already come up!
Stills are a little easier though, and probably more importantly, they're way less intrusive than full-on filming. There's just something nerve-wracking about knowing everything you do is being recorded. I wouldn't want to subject a team to that.
I'll also note that we nailed down expectations right at the beginning for what was on and off the record. I have a bunch of much goofier pictures, for example, that won't be getting out ;)