Software Kibbutz
I’m not sure what it is, but there is something about the Israeli Army and working on a kibbutz that seems to make for good software companies. First, Joel Spolsky has mentioned that he spent time as a paratrooper with Israel’s army and then time in a kibbutz to get time out of uniform. His company, Fog Creek seems like a great place to work with a ginormous amount of cool benefits.
Now it seems that there’s another army/kibbutz combo – Motek in Beverly Hills. Motek writes warehouse administration software. Here, too, open policies, generous benefits and trust are cornerstones to the company’s success. Motek boasts one of the highest revenue per employee numbers in their niche market.
Having spent a bit of time at a Jewish retreat in upstate New York, I can see the practical benefits of such openness. When we were there for a weekend-long wedding, we were slightly shocked to find our room had no locks on the door. We were to trust those around us. It wasn’t truly a kibbutz, but the warmth and the openness of the others at the wedding helped us Gentiles fit in a bit better.
As a company, I wonder how those not traditionally used to the communal philosophy could embrace some of these ideas.
Hat tip: Positive Sharing
One Comment
- Dan said: