Some time ago I came across Jeff Atwood and Joel Spolsky; and a lot of my posts were about Jeff or stackoverflow in the past, but now I want to focus on Joel, and his view about software companies.

Check this excerpt from his about page, where he talks about his founding of Fog Creek Software:

We didn't start with a particular product in mind: our goal was simply to build the kind of software company where we would want to work, one in which programmers and software developers are the stars and everything else serves only to make them productive and happy. The theory, which has proven itself over and over again, is that this kind of thinking would allow us to attract the super-talented software developers who would do great things and make us successful.

Isn’t that simple concept just great? Why is it that not all companies have that philosophy?

It’s so simple it can be summarized in this image (also from Joel’s homepage):

Do you you work or have worked somewhere that’s just great, and fun, and focused on working conditions, a place that takes care of the most important asset, the people?

He also stays true to his beliefs, if you don’t believe me, check their new office out.

What would you love to have that you don’t?

What would you do if you owned the company you work for? Or what would you do if you founded your own?

These are interesting questions to ask yourself once in a while; I know I do from time to time…