When we were starting this little venture we always held in the highest esteem the value of keeping costs low. The lower the overhead the easier it is to meet payroll. So when it came time to figure out office space requirements we thought to ourselves… who needs that? We’re of the “internet generation” (or thereabouts). We don’t need some sort of artifical construct to help us work together. The net keeps us connected. We’ll collaborate in the ether. Turns out, that’s crap (for us at least). It’s not that technology isn’t a great way for us to collaborate. It is. The problem is that working from home comes with a host of distractions and problems. The kids want to play, the tv needs someone to watch it, and sometimes spending 24/7 at home can be a little torturous. Needless to say, it was clear we needed a space to go to every day to be productive.

When it comes to choosing office space, everyone has their own priorities. Mine is food. I’m not talking about the lobby cafe, the crappy sandwich place, or chain fast food. I’m talking about Vietnamese pho, an Italian deli that cures their own meats, and a Japanese Ramen shop. I’m talking about a diverse set of restaurants serving great food quickly and inexpensively. In Seattle the only place that can boast this kind of array is the International District/Chinatown. Lunch is a critical meal of the day and I believe that companies whose employees stuff themselves with junk make junky software. You’ve got to have the right ingredients to make the right dish, as it were.

There were other priorities as well I suppose. For us those were:

• safety of the neighborhood
• lack of a long-term lease (the best advice I got from other startup folks)
• proximity to talent
• cost
• someplace cool

One of the best ideas we came up with was subletting space from other businesses who have extra. Usually all the utilities are taken care of and the commitment can be month-to-month. We didn’t find a situation like that which was right for us, but it still seemed like a good idea. We also flirted with places like ActivSpace. Those too seemed interesting but weren’t quite right. Finally on one of our days seeing spaces we found a spot on the second floor of an old industrial type building in Pioneer Square. The place is as safe as most downtown spots, has high ceilings, and is relatively inexpensive with a short commitment. The building is filled with artist studios and galleries and Pioneer Square is a short walk from lunch in the International District.

As soon as we get it all set up properly we’ll invite everyone down for an officewarming party at the new Jackson Fish offices. :) We’re just waiting for our shipment of these to arrive.

BTW, I’m sure every other adult knows this, but I had to get the lease notarized, and for some reason it occurred to me that my bank might do it for free. I’m sure everyone else has known this forever, but I finally figured it out. I’m willing to suffer the humiliation of admitting to this so that even one other person who lives in the dark may be helped.