Actually, it's not only about making programmers happier. That's a large part of it, but private offices also make programmers more productive, because they hav

Actually, it's not only about making programmers happier. That's a large part of it, but private offices also make programmers more productive, because they have less interruptions. The way Joel figures it, programmers are your most important asset, not to mention a huge expense (salary-wise). Paying extra to make them more effective is usually a winning strategy.