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Apr 08 2016
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Www: Zoomz

Where we Work (WWW) is a series looking at the modern day workplace, and the many new and innovative workspaces that today’s companies are using to inspire brilliance in their employees. Today we meet Zoomz, a mysterious underground AI startup
Welcome! Oop mind the doors, they’re automatic. I’m so glad you’re on time, we insist on punctuality at Zoomz, it’s part of our company culture. The early bird catches the worm, but the punctual parrot catches it too! We’re so strict on it if you’re not on time you miss your chance, it’s our one unbreakable rule.
Please do sit down, though not in the disabled seating of course. Sometimes it’s so busy here our team have to work standing up! But it’s early this morning and it’s Friday, so no one is around. Everyone says Thursday is the new Friday, apparently mainly to excuse weekday drinking. I’m teetotal of course, but I’m happy it’s quieter on a Friday morning, I love getting a seat.
Yes, the velocity here is amazing I know. That’s the joy of tech startups! Always launching, always moving forwards. Also the physical forward momentum of course. I hope you don’t get motion sickness.
It’s amazing the variety of people we get here, it’s become a bit of a hub. Bankers, teachers, candlestick makers, everyone passes through in the morning. Everyone’s very respectful, though, no one says anything, and please don’t make any eye contact, because it’s beyond awkward.
I’m afraid I can’t really talk about what we’re working on at the moment, but I can tell you it’s going to change the world. It’s such good stuff that we’re in stealth mode. We’re Underground.
Anyway I’m afraid I’m going to have to step out, I have a meeting at Victoria, but feel free to hang around. Stay as long as you like, or rather until This Train Terminates.
Toodle-oo!

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Jan 07 2016
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WWW: Mastify

Where we Work (WWW) is a series looking at the modern day workplace, and the many new and innovative workspaces that today’s companies are using to inspire brilliance in their employees. Today we meet Mastify, a mobile WiFi hardware provider for under-served Estate Agents

I know what you’re thinking. Everyone says it when they first see the office. Incredible natural light. That was important to me, when I was choosing the space. I can’t be dealing with those terrible office neon lights, I can’t work in a nightclub!

Sorry where are my manners? Take a seat. I’m afraid it’s all pretty communal here, and lots of our engineers like to sit in primary school-style “thought circles” on the floor because – that’s right – real grass. A lot of people said I was crazy when I wanted to have vegetation in the office, but I proved them wrong.

And we don’t stop at flora, we’ve got ample fauna here too! That’s right, employees are welcome to bring their pets to work here. We’re so relaxed that even strangers come with their dogs sometimes. Just make sure you don’t leave any mess behind, that’s not the Mastify way.

I’m afraid we don’t have a room where you can make at call, because we’ve really bought into the whole Open Office culture, so much so that we have none whatsoever. It’s just so much better for team collaboration, open-ness and transparency, and that’s what we’re all about here at Mastify.

Yes when we say “no walls”, I mean literally no walls, even external walls! We were thinking, we need to be outside the box, and the ultimate box is the office we work in.

So yes, that’s Mastify, come by anytime – we’re a hop, a skip and a jump from Hyde Park. Or rather – in Hyde Park.

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Dec 18 2015
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WWW: Jonk

Where we Work (WWW) is a series looking at the modern day workplace, and the many new and innovative workspaces that today’s companies are using to inspire brilliance in their employees. Today we meet Jonk, a gluten-free on-demand pet-grooming service in London

Welcome to Jonk! Please don’t stand on ceremony with us, come right in. We operate a “door always open” policy here, so people are always coming and going; we think it adds a real energy to the place.

I see you’re admiring the glass windows, I’d love to take the credit for them, but they were put in well before we arrived. They do really help us keep in touch with the community, right on Silicon Roundabout.

And yes, your nose is not deceiving you, that is indeed an in-house barista in the corner. Very “East London Startup”, we do hate to conform to cliche, but I just love a cup of joe. I’m afraid you will have to pay though, we’re still bootstrapping round here! Two flat whites please, easy on the white, heavy on the sugar, careful with the joe, Joe. Ha! What am I like, his name isn’t even Joe. Thanks Jay.

I’m afraid I don’t have a private office, that’s sort of the point – it would really hinder the open, collaborative atmosphere that we try and cultivate here at Jonk. It’s important that I’m always accessible to the team. So much so that the whole organisation hot-desks, and it can be a nightmare getting a spot sometimes! We’re happy to be patient at Jonk though – when we wait we meditate. You’d think that CEO I should be able to pull rank, but I’d hate to cultivate that sort of atmosphere. Plus I don’t even recognise some of these people, which I suppose is the problem with meteoric growth!

There’s a spot – standing desks, at the bar, looking out the window. Great. And do log onto the wifi, free of charge! It’s mostly pretty good, but sometimes it struggles; I guess that’s what happens when you’ve got so much industrious coding going on. We live on Wifi here, too – no wired internet round here. That’s not the Jonk way, that and smooth Jazz, which you’ll hear playing on loop in the background. So soothing!

So yes! Thanks for coming down, and if anyone else wants to visit (or wants a job?), come on down to Jonk, off Old Street roundabout – glass windows, and the door says Starbucks. You can’t miss it – Jonk!

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