> [T]he work of dissolving a company is exceptionally unpleasant. It is also, by definition, zero-value to the founder, the company, and the world
Only if your view of value is how much money you can make off of it, sure. If your startup had some nice tech for example it’s always nice to see that get released when it dissolves. The people who worked there likewise have a bunch of experience from working on whatever it is your company did.
When these offices close, I assume they liquidate all of the office furniture, computers, etc.
How do I find and purchase some of this stuff? I would happily pick up a discounted Herman Miller, tables, whatever other nonsense that might be up for grabs.
Or is it all sold to bulk retailers who subdivide it out? Recycle to the next startup?
There are companies that specialize in buying up office furniture being liquidated. They buy it at a discount and sell it to the next company.
The thing is that sometimes they have leftovers that they can't really sell to another company and these will often be very cheap. I bought a used Steelcase Leap from one of these places that operated out of a nearby warehouse. A new Leap sells for $1000+. It was in near perfect condition, but it was a different color then the rest of the Leaps that they had, so no one buying in bulk was likely to purchase it. I bought it for about $200. They even steam cleaned it for free before I picked it up.
Search for office supply places in your area. Look for something that’s “second tier”. Lacking a fancy store front, maybe in a warehouse, or an office that hasn’t been updated in decades. Even when I lived in rural parts of the country, I could find several with 2 hours drive.
Alternatively, searching Craigslist for Herman Miller or Aeron will likely turn up results from these resellers.
I never understood the obsession with the chair type, model, or manufacturer. I have a normal office chair whose brand I don’t know, and I never had issues despite sitting for long periods of time. The trick first me is to never stay still in one position for more than 30 minutes and to rotate between different positions, leaning forward or backward, and other positions as if I’m sitting on the floor. For example, like the ‘Burmese’ or ‘on a stool’ positions in this picture (1). I also do the usual stretches from time to time.
It's one of those things... what works for you may not work for other people. For someone who's made-up differently, the right chair can make all the difference in the world.
I do what you do (and more) _and_ I have the best chair _and_ I am still in constant pain.
Have you tried a Herman Miller? I once thought like you, but the magic of Herman Miller for me is that I can sit in the same position for hours and I never think about it, consciously or subconsciously. When I get up I don't really feel anything. Which is how it should be. Having to move every thirty minutes to feel OK is a sign of a bad chair.
> Having to move every thirty minutes to feel OK is a sign of a bad chair.
It's a sign of being a human being in a body which evolved to move. Even if you're not in physical pain, moving regularly is by far better than not for your health.
I like the Aeron. A corollary of what I wrote is that if you just sit in it for a few seconds or minutes at a store, it doesn't feel special. If you work at a decently sized company or have access to a coworking space, you can likely find an Aeron somewhere.
One time I had to travel and stay in the field for a month, my “desk” was literally a cardboard box and a futon, which is to be honest felt even better because you can quickly lay down for few minutes to “reset” your spine.
I got my Aeron from a local company that must have been downsizing. I went and picked it up from their office, and it was depressing looking at all of the empty desks (this was pre-COVID) and only a skeleton staff.
Reminds me of my office after private equity outsourced most of the US workforce. It wasn't just that there was no one at the desks, it was that they removed all the personalization and even the department names and decorations which turned our once-vibrant, if irreverent old office into a generic, anonymous place.
For chairs, look up office furniture rental companies. They often sell 5+ year old office chairs for steep discounts and they are usually in pretty good condition.
I bought a standing desk here in the Bay area - saw an ad on FB marketplace and went to this warehouse - they had tons of office stuff, got a really nice standing desk for a fraction of the price, this was during covid when lots of offices were going remote.
just look for auction houses in your area. You don't have to buy these from tech companies. I'm signed up with a few local ones and I get notifications whenever there's a business going-out-of-business auction. I've gotten weights, computer parts, chairs, etc.
My prior assumption is that tech companies with stupid funding levels are the most likely to splurge on glitzy equipment. Regular businesses not looking for an exit likely have fewer great finds.
You'd be surprised, the local auction companies can be worth keeping an eye on.
Smaller companies never get there, and just kind of disappear; if you have ears to the ground you can learn about them (helps to know commercial real-estate managers).
Some office furniture retailers have outlets where they sell second hand stuff at slight discount. This often comes with some level of warranty and might have even gone through proper refurb process.
When YC had their headquarters in Mountain View there used to be a warehouse about a block away from there called Desk Depot - https://maps.app.goo.gl/GL9YpxsBt79M1Rxi7 - Google thinks it may be permanently closed now.
It specialized in second hand furniture from tech companies. It was AMAZING. The owner could tell the story of the past few decades of Silicon Valley illustrated by second hand desk furniture - like that corner over there is Sun Microsystems, this corner is Yahoo! etc. He had the full chronology of Herman Miller chairs as well.
Practically a museum. I'll be said if it's really closed for good.
Interesting space to operate in. I wonder what safeguards they have to ensure that they will get paid by a customer base that likely cannot afford to pay its existing bills.
Bankruptcy courts don't claw back payments to vendors who are legitimately attempting to assist with an orderly wind-down. From the perspective of a bankruptcy judge that would just be them shooting themselves in the foot.
this is likely "business confidential" since it is deeply competitive! I suspect a) court order b) personal and private arrangements with legal decision makers c) contract law d) "lies"
certainly knowing and using these techniques is the difference between being an amateur and being successful
Yes, but it also sounds like VC necromancy. Investing in a startup undertaker gets them on the hyperscale train, preying on the death of other startups. Eventually, they need to find new and innovative ways to make startups die so they can feed off them. They become homicidal undead unicorns.
A startup that specializes in tearing down failed startups could tear itself down when they are no longer needed. Like the startups it had liquidated, the liquidator itself will be liquidated, then capital will be available again to start the process anew with a new bubble and new crops of startups. It is the cycle of life, such a beautiful thing to behold.
I agree in spirit. Practically though, a lot of “closed” software are complex, nonsensical messes that can’t really be released as a usable product without significant revision. Mozilla was a good example.
Only if your view of value is how much money you can make off of it, sure. If your startup had some nice tech for example it’s always nice to see that get released when it dissolves. The people who worked there likewise have a bunch of experience from working on whatever it is your company did.