We had the pleasure of going to Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, CA yesterday. What a treat it was to get a glimpse behind the scenes, and better understand Facebook as an organization, not just a social website. We even got lucky enough to see Mark Zuckerberg & David Ebersman! At the end of the day we were able to give back by hosting a gear repair & water treatment workshop, because who doesn’t love free samples? We took a lot of photos to share the experience, enjoy.
IT’S LIKE COLLEGE
Facebook HQ (aka Campus) is very much like college. There’s a map, a bunch of three story buildings, everyone wears jeans, t-shirts and backpacks, employees come late and leave late, and there’s even buses to help with the daily commute – double decker, limo style buses. Remember, these are very intelligent computer programers and engineers. The best part of college: breakfast, lunch & dinner is always available. The Facebook cafeteria gives you delicious options (regular or crispy bacon?), healthy options (scrambled eggs or scrambled egg whites?), and even vegetarian options (veggie or turkey sausage patties?).
THE CULTURE IS NOTHING SHORT OF INSPIRING
The culture is quirky and collaborative. There are colorful murals, chalkboard walls, ping pong, old & new video games, creative meeting spaces and funny room names (ie. stagram, tact, conceivable…’where are we meeting?’…in ________). Posters throughout remind you to put people first. There are snack stations everywhere with ‘fuel’ galore, plus a candy & beverage of the month, March is Toblerone & Organic Cranberry Juice. Yum.
THEY’RE HARD WORKING & PASSIONATE
The employees work hard. The office space is open with six people to a ‘block’; even Mark Zuckerberg sits this way with other higher ups. They work on big fancy monitors and have access to white boards on wheels. They have WAR ROOMS to collaborate and attack a project together. They have fun in their workspaces with things like viking hats and juggle pins.
NOW ENTERING FACEBOOKLAND
The middle of campus looks like Disneyland. Get a cup of Joe made to order with shaken heavy cream & brown sugar. Walk down the yellow brick road by an OZ inspired doll house. Grab a bike to ride from one end of campus to the other, or bring in your own for repair at The Hub at Facebook (pay for parts, not labor). Visit an event in the Quad (where we hosted ours!). Choose from mexican, bbq, burgers, or what’s being served at the cafe. Yes, there is even a souvenier shop.
WHAT WE’LL REMEMBER THE MOST
If you look up the antonym of complacent, Facebook should be listed. They’re forward thinking, excited for connectivity and love what they do. Facebook’s mission is “Making the world more open and connected.” With a commitment to it’s people (not users), monthly app updates, and platform changes driven from user experience, we’d say they’re succeeding.
A big thanks to Facebook for a peek behind the scenes, opportunity to share what we do, and a special thanks to Justin for being an excellent tour guide!