Big things are happening at Humu this week: On Monday, we officially moved into our beautiful new office. While we’re only a block away from our old location—in terms of natural light, delicious new snacks, and the number of nooks for heads-down work—the two spaces are miles apart.
Since we know that every commuting minute counts, we're excited to now be directly across from the Mountain View Caltrain station. In fact, we’re so close that while waiting for his train after the first day in our new office, Humu engineer Andrew realized that he was still connected to Humu’s wifi from the platform!
To show you our new space—and the thought that went into designing it—we asked the team to share their favorite things about our new digs. Bonus: there are 6 Humu fish* in the photos below. Can you spot them all?
*If you're wondering what a Humu looks like, engineer Sophie was kind enough to give a quick demonstration:
Let's get started. First up is Kunal, a member of our Partner Experience (PX) team who can’t get enough of the large windows and improved lighting. Probably because he knows that exposure to natural light can boost performance and reduce eyestrain. And yes, that is another gif on the TV in the background. We're a consistent company.
Engineer Kat and designer Ben are making the most of our many cozy seating areas. We love seeing Humuns grab coffee together, since we know the most mood-boosting breaks are those in which you build relationships. Cheers!
Speaking of coffee, engineer Andrew can't get enough of our new caffeine machine and the delicious options it offers. Good news for Andrew: coffee may reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Of course, everything in moderation: too much caffeine can make you jittery, increase your blood pressure, and leave you dehydrated.
Luckily, dehydration, which is linked to fatigue, anxiety, and poor memory, isn't a big concern at Humu thanks to our new water—sparkling and still—machine. Engineer Ali and PX team member Sophia can't wait to try the Cucumber Seltzer (update: it's good).
Joy, who leads recruiting, loves all the additional meeting spaces. In one day, we went from three conference rooms to six—that's pretty impressive startup growth. Humu’s mission to make work better defines who we are; since each hire brings something new to our culture, in-person meetings with candidates matter a lot.
Sales team member Forrest likes grabbing a soundproofed phone booth for heads-down work. We designed the new office have lots of dedicated quiet spaces. Many of us are introverts, and we tend to perform best in calmer environments.
People Scientist Carly’s favorite place to grab some alone time to craft Humu's nudges—recommended actions to help our customers succeed at work— is Coral Reef (all our conference rooms are nautically-named).
Outside of Coral Reef, you'll find plenty of above-water plant life. If just looking at greenery has significant health benefits, we're excited to see how healthy PX team member Megan and executive assistant Mariana will be after immersing themselves in it!
We're also trying to do our part for the plants that exist beyond the walls of our office: research shows that spending just five minutes in nature can put a spring in your step. Here engineer Daniel shows off the electric vehicle chargers in our new garage.
Back inside, Wailea, our new rec room, tops everyone's list. We're excited to use the extra space to start hosting yoga classes on Wednesday mornings. Here Lynn and Emily, whose IT and Employee Experience skills make our work lives magical, take a mindful moment to keep their well-being high.
Engineer Jose also loves the new rec room; the big screens and modular seats are perfect for the monthly Movie Night he organizes. We're fans of fun activities that help us get to know each other. In addition to Movie Night, Humuns have organized Run Club, Board Game Night, and Afternoon S'mores. After all, connections help us be more creative, resilient, and even live longer.
We stay connected even when we're not all in the same physical location. People Scientist Stefanie called in to say hello from the Wharton People Analytics Conference, where she spoke about the power of small changes.
One of my (Liz) favorite things about the new office is the Mother's Room. It’s little touches like this that create a healthy emotional culture in which everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Finally, Humu co-founder Wayne loves the snacks, specifically the dark chocolate pretzels. Research links the consumption of dark chocolate with lower blood pressure and inflammation. Wayne's happiness also seems highly correlated with the presence of the pretzels, and we know that happiness affects everything from health to innovation to productivity.
And that's the tour. If you think our office looks great, or you just generally enjoy a great gif, we're hiring!
.png)
