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Inside the Startup Office from Hell

Frank Addante, the Los Angeles tech entrepreneur, has helpfully consolidated pretty much every terrible office idea and Web 2.0 startup cliché into one place: This video tour of his online ad company, Rubicon Project.

We actually stopped the video halfway through to make sure it wasn't a conscious parody, maybe a viral ad for some new Office-like television show. Nope: Addante is very real, and he and his videos have already earned more than his share of notoriety.


Here's quick tour of Addante's tour:


Inside the Startup Office from HellAbove the reception desk are the first of many pointless flat-screen monitors.


Inside the Startup Office from HellThe office is built on the set of 24, which is a great idea if you value panic, screaming and torture in your place of work.


Inside the Startup Office from HellThese 11 cultural values shall "govern the behavior" of all who enter. Consider yourself warned.


Inside the Startup Office from HellThe main penoffice. Rubicon has a "No Office Policy," because it is so egalitarian and communicative. This explains why Addante introduces the cofounder he sits next to, but not the random woman he also sits next to.


Inside the Startup Office from HellAddante is trying to ring the "Victory Bell" more frequently, probably because its clang is so delightful for employees trying to get work done at the surrounding desks.


Inside the Startup Office from HellThis "countdown clock" is like the one in 24, except instead of nuclear apocalypse it counts down to something you don't care about.


Inside the Startup Office from HellYes, you really work for a company whose slogan is "Make Mad Cash From Ads On Your Website." If you ever doubt this fact, just look up at the wall.


Inside the Startup Office from HellYammer is like Twitter, except you read it by standing in the middle of the office and craning your neck to read another pointless, wall-mounted flat screen television.


Inside the Startup Office from HellRemember the room in 24 where they always torture terrorists? Addante thought it would be cool to hold company meetings there, and call them "boiler room" gatherings to boot.


Inside the Startup Office from HellIt seems the employees gulped down the on-site alcohol much more quickly than anticipated. Go figure.


Inside the Startup Office from HellIn 2009, being told your company "is managed like a financial institution" is not so comforting. Thank God there's another pointless, flat-screen television to soothe your pain.

[FounderBlog]

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