The answer is really simple, and has been well-known at least since the time of the book Peopleware and the studies it cited.<p>Provide a <i>real</i> office environment for <i>every</i> knowledge worker.<p>You know ... a door that shuts ... a window ... space to allow your gaze to adjust.<p>Things that are ... human.<p>It&#x27;s really simple.<p>And before you say it costs too much, it doesn&#x27;t. The problem is that you&#x27;re in denial about how much your current offices with open floor plans are costing you. You merely <i>think</i> the cost is equal to the rent. It&#x27;s much greater than the rent, though, because of lowered productivity, lowered morale, increased superficiality of important inter-worker communication, incessant interruptions disrupting developer flow, more sick time, etc. etc.<p>If you didn&#x27;t pretend like those aren&#x27;t affecting you, and you actually counted their cost, you&#x27;d see that the extra cost in real estate for offices is well worth it even in short-term scenarios like 1-year where you&#x27;re using your start-up runway to pay for it.<p>Even in San Francisco. Even in Manhattan.