Online Rules of Successful Companies: The Fool-Proof Guide to Building Profits, The

Chapter Eight. Cost Control and Futureproofing

The 20th century stereotype of an Internet company included images of company-paid massages, corporate headquarters with free recreational facilities, programmers bringing their dogs to work, everyone from the CEO on down dressed in t-shirts and sandals, fancy designer office chairs and desks, and the most expensive possible desktop and laptop computer for every employee. Naturally, all of this ostentation, and the server computers behind it, had to be located in Silicon Valley or San Francisco, Manhattan, Boston or its suburbs, the most expensive parts of London, or another location where living expenses were guaranteed to be among the world's highest.

Comfortable chairs are nice, but there is no ...