The Importance of Lunch

theodp writes "I've been on teams that eat together every day,' writes Joel-on-Software Spolsky, 'and it's awesome. I've been on teams that don't, and lunch every day is, at best, lonely.' Spolsky is firmly in the camp that believes where and with whom we eat lunch is a much bigger deal than most people care to admit. 'There's a lot of stuff that's accidental about Fog Creek and Stack Exchange,' he concludes, 'but lunch is not one of them. Ten years ago Michael and I set out with the rather ambitious goal of making a great place to work. Eating together is a critical part of what it means to be human and what it means to have a humane workplace, and that's been a part of our values from day one.'"

Old hat

[Anonymous Coward]

I've known this for ages. This is why, at the beginning of each day, I make any employees who felt the need to brown-bag it toss their lunch in The Trough. Once in the trough it's blended in with a caffeinated protein slurry.

Now, we can't have the workers getting all uppity because I allow them to eat, so this trough is installed roughly level with the floor, so they have to bow at my feet while they nourish themselves.

It's a wonderful place for me to work.

Regards,
Mark Z.

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to Tech Startups

[Tackhead]

The history of every major tech startup tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why and Where phases.

For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question "How can we make payroll?", the second by the question "Why do we need VC?", and the third by the question "Where shall we have lunch?"

It should be the goal of every startup company to reach the third stage.

Re:Extrovert

[Anonymous Coward]

Because teams just don't work when you have a bunch of anti-social losers in it? Sorry, but your self-diagnosed aspergers doesn't excuse you from being a twat.

Re:Lunchbreaks

[Dr.Bob,DC]

You really should eat a lunch. Not for the social networking as the article states, but for your health.

Take some time, eat an organic banana and unsalted, organic almonds. Perhaps some curried tofu made from organic, non-GMO soybeans. There has been a few articles in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine in which Chiropractors have found that patients who routinely skip lunch have many more (and more serious) subluxations which cause poor health.

Subluxations are, to be blunt, where all a person's ill health will start. Eliminate those and enjoy good health!

Take care!

Re:Well, cooking IS the second oldest art form

[_0xd0ad]

Dentistry?