An open office isn&#x27;t ever an issue for me because of being interrupted or blocked. It&#x27;s simply that an office full of people, with the requisite fashionable foosball&#x2F;ping pong table, is <i>loud</i> and <i>distracting</i>. There&#x27;s no getting around the fact that if you need to concentrate, you need to be able to do so while listening to music, because you&#x27;re not going to get a moment of quiet during the work day. Alternatively, you can work late and do your thinking after most people go home. Both of these options are less than optimal, and I find it frustrating at times. Of course, offices with doors are not remotely realistic for a startup in San Francisco, so this is a sacrifice we make.