4 ms·

I've read that a good way to get an early indicator of future health is to pay attention to the spending on the small things. Does your company have paid lunch

I've read that a good way to get an early indicator of future health is to pay attention to the spending on the small things. Does your company have paid lunches? Does it have a snack vending machine or something similar? A coffee machine with k-cups? Other little perks that seem insignificant but are nice to have. If these things start to go away, the company is experiencing financial stress.

striking 9y ago
Steve Blank does a good job summarizing this and other related phenomena: https://steveblank.com/2009/12/21/the-elves-leave-middle-earth-%E2%80%93-soda%E2%80%99s-are-no-longer-free/ https://steveblank.com/2009/12/21/the-elves-leave-middle-ear... (and its corresponding HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5751329 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5751329)
god_bless_texas 9y ago
I am laughing so hard right now.
majewsky 9y ago
However, if these things never were there in the first place, it just means that you're not in the SV bubble.
- coldpie 9y ago
  Yeah, here in St Paul, we get only coffee paid for and we're quite healthy, I think. Not everywhere gets a smorgasbord of free food and snacks and I'm not convinced it's a worthwhile expense.
  - sidlls 9y ago
    Have you ever experienced it? I used to think it was silly, too, but I've come to appreciate the convenience of not having to buy and pack my own snack items. It's also much cheaper than salary and benefits to extract extra work out of younger and naive developers. Sorta like giving the newly hired former intern the title "senior engineer."
  - maccard 9y ago
    It's not these specific things, it's losing trivial things that are supposed to be quality of life improvements. They're not saying any company that doesn't offer these is in trouble, they're saying any company that offers these, and then takes them back is in trouble.
- kzisme 9y ago
  While I think that the OP is correct - I also agree with this. Working in the mid-west I've never seen stuff like this first hand :(
urda 9y ago
Outside of unicorn "SF / Silicon Valley Land" you don't see these perks at other companies. So this advice only applies to a very small subset of people.

striking 9y ago

Steve Blank does a good job summarizing this and other related phenomena: https://steveblank.com/2009/12/21/the-elves-leave-middle-earth-%E2%80%93-soda%E2%80%99s-are-no-longer-free/ https://steveblank.com/2009/12/21/the-elves-leave-middle-ear... (and its corresponding HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5751329 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5751329)

god_bless_texas 9y ago

I am laughing so hard right now.

majewsky 9y ago

However, if these things never were there in the first place, it just means that you're not in the SV bubble.

coldpie 9y ago
Yeah, here in St Paul, we get only coffee paid for and we're quite healthy, I think. Not everywhere gets a smorgasbord of free food and snacks and I'm not convinced it's a worthwhile expense.
- sidlls 9y ago
  Have you ever experienced it? I used to think it was silly, too, but I've come to appreciate the convenience of not having to buy and pack my own snack items. It's also much cheaper than salary and benefits to extract extra work out of younger and naive developers. Sorta like giving the newly hired former intern the title "senior engineer."
- maccard 9y ago
  It's not these specific things, it's losing trivial things that are supposed to be quality of life improvements. They're not saying any company that doesn't offer these is in trouble, they're saying any company that offers these, and then takes them back is in trouble.
kzisme 9y ago
While I think that the OP is correct - I also agree with this. Working in the mid-west I've never seen stuff like this first hand :(

urda 9y ago

Outside of unicorn "SF / Silicon Valley Land" you don't see these perks at other companies. So this advice only applies to a very small subset of people.