6 ms·

Shopify allowing Factorio to be expensed is really interesting. Someone higher up must really like it?

by juice_bus 5y ago

xal 5y ago
I do :-)
- mynegation 5y ago
  That comment must be on some HN wall of fame next to "Did you win Putnam?" classic.
  - Jalad 5y ago
    I didn't know what this was referring to, but after a little bit of digging: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079
- midjji 5y ago
  Very cool you do this! Care to elaborate on why?
midjji 5y ago
A tech company focused on logistics has at least one boss or founder who really likes factorio, the game for and by programmers who like logistics? Who could have guessed^^ It is cool if they let people expense it though, but motivating the 20$ per employee cost is pretty trivial. Compared to similar expenses like a yearly fruit basket, Id wager giving programmers/logistics workers a free factorio probably has a better impact on work performance. I think op is underestimating how much people learn from games, but it is also not exactly a high bar to pass, and Id wager factorio teaches more than most.
- jfim 5y ago
  > Id wager giving programmers/logistics workers a free factorio probably has a better impact on work performance. I'd be skeptical of that claim. I'm sure there would be at least a few engineers that showed up to work pretty tired because the factory needed more iron plates. :-)
  - midjji 5y ago
    Yeah, think I'm less assuming that people wont let it negatively affect their work, as much as assuming that the people for whom it does would have been playing something else with the same effect.
    - Aeolun 5y ago
      Not really. Factory/building games are the only ones that keep me up until 2:35 AM (at least today). This was fine when I could just sleep in until 10, but I’m fairly certain my little bundle of joy will need my attention somewhere before 8. 3 years in and still trying to figure out how to combine these things.
      - midjji 5y ago
        If you figure it out, there will be a lot of interest^^. I kinda miss the "just one more turn" till sunrise sessions, but half of that is me missing that the only thing that happened the day after was a slight headache.
- sam0x17 5y ago
  I agree that it's chump change. Many startups provide a $100/month budget for "whatever" self tech expenses that can be spent on things like games, etc. This isn't groundbreaking by any means. Still cool that they do it though. Now comping employees for after-hours time spent playing factario -- now that would be groundbreaking haha
shane_b 5y ago
Tobi the CEO likes it

Shopify allowing Factorio to be expensed is really interesting. Someone higher up must really like it?

xal 5y ago

I do :-)

mynegation 5y ago
That comment must be on some HN wall of fame next to "Did you win Putnam?" classic.
- Jalad 5y ago
  I didn't know what this was referring to, but after a little bit of digging: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35079
midjji 5y ago
Very cool you do this! Care to elaborate on why?

midjji 5y ago

A tech company focused on logistics has at least one boss or founder who really likes factorio, the game for and by programmers who like logistics? Who could have guessed^^ It is cool if they let people expense it though, but motivating the 20$ per employee cost is pretty trivial. Compared to similar expenses like a yearly fruit basket, Id wager giving programmers/logistics workers a free factorio probably has a better impact on work performance. I think op is underestimating how much people learn from games, but it is also not exactly a high bar to pass, and Id wager factorio teaches more than most.

jfim 5y ago
> Id wager giving programmers/logistics workers a free factorio probably has a better impact on work performance. I'd be skeptical of that claim. I'm sure there would be at least a few engineers that showed up to work pretty tired because the factory needed more iron plates. :-)
- midjji 5y ago
  Yeah, think I'm less assuming that people wont let it negatively affect their work, as much as assuming that the people for whom it does would have been playing something else with the same effect.
  - Aeolun 5y ago
    Not really. Factory/building games are the only ones that keep me up until 2:35 AM (at least today). This was fine when I could just sleep in until 10, but I’m fairly certain my little bundle of joy will need my attention somewhere before 8. 3 years in and still trying to figure out how to combine these things.
    - midjji 5y ago
      If you figure it out, there will be a lot of interest^^. I kinda miss the "just one more turn" till sunrise sessions, but half of that is me missing that the only thing that happened the day after was a slight headache.
sam0x17 5y ago
I agree that it's chump change. Many startups provide a $100/month budget for "whatever" self tech expenses that can be spent on things like games, etc. This isn't groundbreaking by any means. Still cool that they do it though. Now comping employees for after-hours time spent playing factario -- now that would be groundbreaking haha

shane_b 5y ago

Tobi the CEO likes it