One of the perks of a startup environment is that, since disruption and innovation are at the heart of everything a startup does, its environment tends to be anything but old-fashioned. Gone are the stale grey cubicles and ornate cherry wood cabinetry — today’s most exciting startups put a mark all their own on their surroundings and infuse elements of fun into the offices where their teams spend so much of their time.
While not everyone can have a space as massive, opulent and over-the-top as the Google or Facebook campus, a few of Austin’s startups have taken a page from the tech giants’ playbooks, infusing some work/life elements into their workspaces and making their offices the kinds of places employees brag about and, more importantly, probably don’t mind spending excessive amounts of time in.
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It’s no secret that RetailMeNot is a force to be reckoned with as the world’s largest marketplace for digital offers. But when it comes to treating its employees right, it seems to have cornered the market on that, too.
The Austin American-Statesman included it in its “Top Workplaces” listings in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and it received a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award, ranking among the top 50 medium-sized companies in 2014.
We haven’t had a glimpse into the expansion of its new downtown headquarters yet, but it’s sure to be stylish and will likely be a space that, true to form, continues to keep employees happy and comfortable.
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Peddle is an e-commerce company that makes it easier than ever to sell a car online. In their words, “Tell us about your car and where it’s located, and we’ll give you an instant offer. We take all the hassle out of searching for a potential buyer and negotiating a price.”
According to The Square Foot, which conducted a two-part roundup of awesome office spaces in Austin this past spring, its downtown office space “was designed to reflect the contrast of gritty automotive and chic tech stylings using gorgeous reclaimed wood floors and exposed brick walls juxtaposed with slick glass conference rooms and sleek, contemporary furniture.”
Also at Peddle, leather couches and bean bags provide comfort during Xbox breaks, while the “cantina” hosts a billiards table and astroturf wall. When it’s time for work, though, Peddle keeps its employees’ health in mind with convertible standing desks as well as a pair of walkstations.
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Working with highly visual brands like Starbucks and Hello Kitty must have rubbed off on the folks at Chaotic Moon, a software development company also housed in downtown Austin. Their bold, bright, in-your-face decor is anything but subtle, and that extends to its brand mantra emblazoned on a main wall: “WE’RE THE BEST.” Sharing a wall with Swift’s Attic, one of Austin’s best additions to Congress Avenue in the last few years, the team has come to see it as “the unofficial Chaotic Moon cafeteria,” according to The Square Foot. If you’ve ever eaten at Swift’s Attic, you know that’s quite the swanky cafeteria indeed.
