By the time Facebook revealed that it was partnering on a 394-unit apartment complex within walking distance of its Menlo Park headquarters, many Silicon Valley startups had already experimented with office living quarters. Most notably Facebook when it was still a college kid’s pet project.
Startup teams that live and work together aren’t particularly unusual in Silicon Valley. Their rationale for cohabitation usually goes something like, “we are working together around the clock anyway; we might as well save on rent.”
Often it’s more of an accident than a master plan. Cindy Wu, the cofounder of a site for crowdfunding scientific research called Microryza, says her company’s live-in situation initially developed when she and her cofounders invited contract workers to stay at their San Francisco apartment, which doubles as company headquarters. When those visitors got full-time jobs, it was easier for them to move in permanently than battle San Francisco real estate. Five of six full-time team members now share the one-bedroom apartment and office. Victor Ho, the cofounder of a loyalty program called Fivestars, also lives with several employees.
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