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Check out the desks of 13 successful tech people

Some like their own space, some sit with employees, some stand – and some don’t have a desk at all…
12.00pm, 13 Apr 2013
15.6k
8

THE WORLD’S MOST successful tech people don’t mess around when it comes to their working space.

A desk has to be a place where you can be productive, healthy, and comfortable for many hours, day in day out.

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark prefers a sparse desk, while Michael Moritz, Chairman at Sequoia Capital, keeps a bottle of emergency whiskey “for the bad surprise.”

And some professionals don’t work at a desk at all.

As a part of LinkedIn’s “View From My Desk” series, some of the most successful tech professionals in the world reveal where they work. We’re publishing the highlights with permission.

  • Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist

    "I have one big screen connected to a desktop. There's little paper there, since I've arranged pretty much everything online. You'll see a few knickknacks, with some focus on my prior role model, Homer Simpson, and I just acquired something related to my current role model, Grandpa Simpson." Source: LinkedIn

  • Richard Branson, founder Virgin Group

    "The scene might not look much like working — you won’t find a suit or tie anywhere, and lots of people are enjoying snacks. Work doesn’t always have to mean timed meetings and official processes. Lots of the best ideas come off the cuff, out of conversations like the one happening in the photo." Source: LinkedIn

  • Michael Moritz, chairman Sequoia Capital

    "Two computers, a cellphone (no desk phone needed), a small bottle of whiskey for the bad surprise, a stash of dark chocolate (82% cocoa) for twice-daily medication, a bottle of Pellegrino water and a pair of analog clocks as a reminder that our business is about art as well as science." Source: LinkedIn

  • Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief The Huffington Post

    "It's all about transparency. I can see out, and everyone can see in. Things accumulate. As you can see, I keep some books around." Source: LinkedIn

  • Jeff Weiner, CEO LinkedIn

    "This is the view behind our office in Mountain View, Calif., when walking along the Shoreline bike path. It's now my preferred venue for 1 to 1 meetings." Source: LinkedIn

  • Hamish Shah, founder and CTO at Hub Spot

    "We're not big on executive perks at Hub Spot — especially offices. Mo offices, mo problems. No office, no problem." Source: LinkedIn

  • Kevin Chou, CEO Kabam

    "Sitting out in the open without barriers or privacy can be distracting but it's certainly worth the rare inconvenience. The openness is significant in its symbolism at the very top." Source: LinkedIn

  • John Abell, tech columnist Reuters

    "I like to think the open floor plan has a practical, positive impact: that the protected expanse behind me and the view of nature outdoors liberates my mind." Source: LinkedIn

  • Tim Brown, CEO at IDEO

    "Individual IDEO-ers reserve a new desk space every week — meaning you never know who you’ll be sitting next to. This constant flux makes it easier to get inspired by colleagues in other disciplines. You never know when you’ll be sitting next to me!" Source: LinkedIn

  • Michael Fertik, CEO Reputation.com

    "I stand at my desk because I’m twice as likely to walk around and talk to others spontaneously. I know. I measured. And my colleagues are nearly four times as likely to approach me with a thought, a question, or just a hello when I'm standing as compared to when I'm sitting." Source: LinkedIn

  • Emily Chang, host of Bloomberg West

    "At Bloomberg, no one has an office, not even our CEO. But, everyone has the luxury of working at their own Bloomberg terminal. When I started working here, I had no idea what I would do with four different screens. Now, I can’t live without them!" Source: LinkedIn

  • Nancy Lublin, CEO DoSomething.org

    "We're not even seated at desks. Instead, we purchased 80 plain flat tables from Ikea. These tables are arranged in quads ... without any partitions or walls." Source: LinkedIn

  • Andrew Chen, entrepreneur

    "I have a post-it note taped to the monitor that says: 3pm - Floss - Drink water - Stretch and I have an alarm on my computer that fires at 3pm. I try to remember to do that every day, though I'm not great at it." Source: LinkedIn

- Kevin Smith, Vivian Giang and Max Nisen

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