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From Wikipedia, >Grove's office was an 8-ft by 9-ft cubicle like the other employees, as he disliked separate "mahogany-paneled corner offices." He states, "I'

by Uhhrrr 11y ago

From Wikipedia, >Grove's office was an 8-ft by 9-ft cubicle like the other employees, as he disliked separate "mahogany-paneled corner offices." He states, "I've been living in cubicles since 1978 — and it hasn't hurt a whole lot." Preferring this egalitarian atmosphere, he thereby made his work area accessible to anyone who walked by. There were no reserved parking spaces, and Grove parked wherever there was a space.

jmspring 11y ago
It seems like early Intel and HP higher ups were more in tune with egalitarianism as well not being aloof or unapproachable. The Moore foundation has been an amazing charity. Here in Santa Cruz, Andy Grove built a house out on one of the streets near the beach between Santa Cruz and Capitola. He worked with neighbors (according to local press) to not be out of place in the design, etc. Contrast that with Zuckerberg and his recent building issues, or how many modern C-levels want their out of the way offices, etc. Maybe it was just a different time.
- gogopuppygogo 11y ago
  Gates also is known for having built a home that stood out. It's not about the era its about the person.
  - blairanderson 11y ago
    It is extravagant but hardly stands out. You can only see it by boat if you already know where to look.
    - 13of40 11y ago
      I think there used to be some gangly red steel sculpture down by the lake that you could spot. I haven't sailed past there in years, though.
  - Scuds 11y ago
    Yeah, but since he's trying to give all his money away, it's kind of a boondoggle of the mid 90's. https://goo.gl/maps/jxsqBmwVBPD2 https://goo.gl/maps/jxsqBmwVBPD2
  - jmspring 11y ago
    There was much fan fare over all the technology Bill Gates put into his house. It was interesting to read, especially in the context of home automation these days. I worked with people who helped Jim Clark with some of his home automation in the early/mid 2000s. My point in general was I think the Silicon Valley elders of old, Grove, Moore, Packards (I know multiple individuals who benefitted from the Packard Children's fund w/ pre-mes. (sp?), etc. were much more community and outward focused than that which we see today. There are people here and there, but a lot of what gets glamorized or talked about tend to be more selfishly oriented individuals. Gates, early on, stated his kids weren't getting a huge part of his fortune, I consider his works on par (via the Gates Foundation) as those of the Packards. That said, the Packards have been very local vs. Gates more international (maybe it's need, size of endowment, etc).
    - setpatchaddress 11y ago
      I think this is viewing the past with rose-tinted glasses. I recall the same exact complaints being leveled at the 1980's tech generation.
      - jmspring 11y ago
        I'm being selective about comparisons, but it's a matter or proportion, and things then were way more subdued. Ellison, Jobs (mainly on the woodside mansion and not being charity oriented), Clark, etc certainly contrast with those I mentioned. I think 80s-90s had seriously strong personalities emerge that get to the core of what you mention. Yet around that was much more down to earth philanthropy, etc. I don't see that same balance today.
        Vegard7 11y ago
        I think it depends on the route they take up the mountain. You can be brilliant or you can be brilliant at taking shortcuts. The shortcut takers are generally more insecure and that manifests in different behavior once they reach the top.
    - cweiss 11y ago
  - samstave 11y ago
    In 1994 when I lived in Seattle I recall hearing how gates place in Medina was reviled by craftsman as he had hired some of the top of their field to do various things but was too picky. I recall that his entry way to the house was built by some master wood crafter, but gates was not happy with this mans work on several iterations; the guy was basically doing "once-in-a-lifetime" work and gates would have him tear it out and restart... More than twice. I don't know how true that is, but that was the story at the time. Other than that, I got a speeding ticket for going 26 in a 25 mph zone very near his house and was super upset at how lame that was.
    - mratzloff 11y ago
      It's Medina. You got a ticket for being in Medina and not being a resident. The speed was merely incidental.
- cant_kant 11y ago
  "Maybe it was just a different time." Ellison's 200 million dollar house set on 23 acres, suggests that selective memory might be playing a role.
  - samstave 11y ago
    Hah yeah my buddy David who built his yachts said to me that Ellison decided that his $220mm yacht wasn't big enough, so he wanted to sell it for a $400mm yacht... Now he has a 600mm fucking island of the STATE of Hawaii!!
    - jldugger 11y ago
      One must not throw around the term 'volcano lair' loosely, and yet...
  - jmspring 11y ago
    I didn't say all. Ellison likes to engage in public endeavors like the America's Cup. One reason Jim Clark wanted Netscape to go public was to cover the cost of his Yacht being built at the time. There are certainly those that benefitted from the 90s boom that aren't particularly ... humble... in the sense as I mentioned Moore, Grove, Packards, etc.
- digi_owl 11y ago
  Or its generational. Grove was a generation older than Gates, never mind Zuckerberg. His early years were also in wartorn Europe, not USA.
lynxbat 11y ago
You still can find big execs that control billions of dollars sitting in cubes next to engineers, planners, and admins at Intel. One of my favorite things about working here is how they don't even seem to know it is different. (Intel employee)
- JeremyMorgan 11y ago
  Can confirm, once worked next to one of those high ranking execs. He wasn't there often (mostly traveling) but his cube was the same size as mine, a lowly engineer.

by Uhhrrr 11y ago

jmspring 11y ago

It seems like early Intel and HP higher ups were more in tune with egalitarianism as well not being aloof or unapproachable. The Moore foundation has been an amazing charity. Here in Santa Cruz, Andy Grove built a house out on one of the streets near the beach between Santa Cruz and Capitola. He worked with neighbors (according to local press) to not be out of place in the design, etc. Contrast that with Zuckerberg and his recent building issues, or how many modern C-levels want their out of the way offices, etc. Maybe it was just a different time.

gogopuppygogo 11y ago
Gates also is known for having built a home that stood out. It's not about the era its about the person.
- blairanderson 11y ago
  It is extravagant but hardly stands out. You can only see it by boat if you already know where to look.
  - 13of40 11y ago
    I think there used to be some gangly red steel sculpture down by the lake that you could spot. I haven't sailed past there in years, though.
- Scuds 11y ago
  Yeah, but since he's trying to give all his money away, it's kind of a boondoggle of the mid 90's. https://goo.gl/maps/jxsqBmwVBPD2 https://goo.gl/maps/jxsqBmwVBPD2
- jmspring 11y ago
  There was much fan fare over all the technology Bill Gates put into his house. It was interesting to read, especially in the context of home automation these days. I worked with people who helped Jim Clark with some of his home automation in the early/mid 2000s. My point in general was I think the Silicon Valley elders of old, Grove, Moore, Packards (I know multiple individuals who benefitted from the Packard Children's fund w/ pre-mes. (sp?), etc. were much more community and outward focused than that which we see today. There are people here and there, but a lot of what gets glamorized or talked about tend to be more selfishly oriented individuals. Gates, early on, stated his kids weren't getting a huge part of his fortune, I consider his works on par (via the Gates Foundation) as those of the Packards. That said, the Packards have been very local vs. Gates more international (maybe it's need, size of endowment, etc).
  - setpatchaddress 11y ago
    I think this is viewing the past with rose-tinted glasses. I recall the same exact complaints being leveled at the 1980's tech generation.
    - jmspring 11y ago
      I'm being selective about comparisons, but it's a matter or proportion, and things then were way more subdued. Ellison, Jobs (mainly on the woodside mansion and not being charity oriented), Clark, etc certainly contrast with those I mentioned. I think 80s-90s had seriously strong personalities emerge that get to the core of what you mention. Yet around that was much more down to earth philanthropy, etc. I don't see that same balance today.
      - Vegard7 11y ago
        I think it depends on the route they take up the mountain. You can be brilliant or you can be brilliant at taking shortcuts. The shortcut takers are generally more insecure and that manifests in different behavior once they reach the top.
  - cweiss 11y ago
- samstave 11y ago
  In 1994 when I lived in Seattle I recall hearing how gates place in Medina was reviled by craftsman as he had hired some of the top of their field to do various things but was too picky. I recall that his entry way to the house was built by some master wood crafter, but gates was not happy with this mans work on several iterations; the guy was basically doing "once-in-a-lifetime" work and gates would have him tear it out and restart... More than twice. I don't know how true that is, but that was the story at the time. Other than that, I got a speeding ticket for going 26 in a 25 mph zone very near his house and was super upset at how lame that was.
  - mratzloff 11y ago
    It's Medina. You got a ticket for being in Medina and not being a resident. The speed was merely incidental.
cant_kant 11y ago
"Maybe it was just a different time." Ellison's 200 million dollar house set on 23 acres, suggests that selective memory might be playing a role.
- samstave 11y ago
  Hah yeah my buddy David who built his yachts said to me that Ellison decided that his $220mm yacht wasn't big enough, so he wanted to sell it for a $400mm yacht... Now he has a 600mm fucking island of the STATE of Hawaii!!
  - jldugger 11y ago
    One must not throw around the term 'volcano lair' loosely, and yet...
- jmspring 11y ago
  I didn't say all. Ellison likes to engage in public endeavors like the America's Cup. One reason Jim Clark wanted Netscape to go public was to cover the cost of his Yacht being built at the time. There are certainly those that benefitted from the 90s boom that aren't particularly ... humble... in the sense as I mentioned Moore, Grove, Packards, etc.
digi_owl 11y ago
Or its generational. Grove was a generation older than Gates, never mind Zuckerberg. His early years were also in wartorn Europe, not USA.

lynxbat 11y ago

You still can find big execs that control billions of dollars sitting in cubes next to engineers, planners, and admins at Intel. One of my favorite things about working here is how they don't even seem to know it is different. (Intel employee)

JeremyMorgan 11y ago
Can confirm, once worked next to one of those high ranking execs. He wasn't there often (mostly traveling) but his cube was the same size as mine, a lowly engineer.