My goal as a startup founder is to make life simpler for my employees. I've been running companies for the past 12 years--at first, I was stingy with employee b

My goal as a startup founder is to make life simpler for my employees. I've been running companies for the past 12 years--at first, I was stingy with employee benefits, before I figured out that giving good benefits helped keep employees around. (Seems obvious in retrospect!) Here's my current running list of what I do for my employees: 1) Fully-specced new laptop every 2 years. Our CTO just specced a nearly-$3,000 Linux laptop from System76. My assistant and I have Macbook Pros. 2) Full coverage health care 100% paid for by the company, including dependents. 3) Free cell phone; we pick as a team. Currently we are all on Galaxy S4s from T-Mobile. I also gave a paid-by-the-company phone to my CTO's wife (she's helped us out around the office quite a bit as well!) 4) Company will pay your Internet bill at home (within reason; most of us have $70-$100/mo bills from Time Warner.) 5) High-end monitor + cables to plug your laptop into at the office. 6) Nice chairs. We get Aerons. I have had my most recent batch of Aerons for nearly 7 years and have moved them halfway across the country and they still look new. 7) Standup desk if you prefer (we currently have 3; 2 by Geekdesk and one I bought used from another startup founder--I use the latter one.) 8) Free snacks, drinks, and coffee at our office. 9) For executive staff, a company credit card so you can pay for parking, snacks, etc. if you're out without having to deal with expensing items. In other words, I get my employees whatever they want and the company can afford, within reason, that takes the burden out of them having to pay out of pocket or go without the latest technology. I'm always willing to add more to this list, but it has to be because my employees want and would use it.