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> For example, WhatsApp founders requested a completely different office layout when their team moved on campus. Much larger desks and personal space, a policy of not speaking out loud in the space, and conference rooms made unavailable to fellow Facebookers nearby. This irritated people at Facebook, but Mark personally supported and defended it.

Unless I am misinterpreting this, Brian and Jan negotiated for and received a separate working environment for the Whatsapp team where they could avoid some of the pitfalls of Facebook's open plan office and actually get work done without interruption. That David seems to be suggesting this as a criticism says a lot.

On a completely unrelated topic...I am reminded of a quote by the writer, Upton Sinclair: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”


Their part of building 10 was apparently wildly different. Huge desks. Off-limits rooms (not that I ever tried to use them).

This, when FB proper was shrinking desks from 5’ to 4’ and removing gaps to create looooong rows.

People definitely noticed.


Noticed as in “why am I being treated like cattle?”?


Mooo. (Yes.)


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