We’re one of the fastest-growing AI startups<\/a>, but we’re not trying to replace people. We’re building what I like to call an Iron Man suit for salespeople.<\/p>\n That same philosophy shapes how we think about our own employees.<\/p>\n The flow state<\/p>\n Rilla has what many people would call an insanely hardcore culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n I was deeply influenced by the book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.” The central idea is that one of life’s purposes is to spend as much time as possible in a state of complete focus and immersion. That’s what we optimize for.<\/p>\n We believe at Rilla that we need to create an environment where our employees are in the flow almost 100% of the time.<\/p>\n Our employees typically work 12-hour days<\/a> and come into the office six days a week. We don’t clock people in or out, and we don’t force anyone to work here. We select people who want this kind of environment. Many of them are former Division I athletes, entrepreneurs, or people who have always pushed themselves to perform at a very high level.<\/p>\n I think those hours help cut out a lot of the extra fat in life. When you spend that much time working, you become much more intentional about how you use the rest of your day.<\/p>\n The new office space<\/p>\n Rilla signed a 10-year lease for a penthouse office space at 25 Kent in Williamsburg.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rilla<\/p>\n As we grew to around 120 employees, we realized something was working against us: our office.<\/p>\n Most commercial buildings have sealed windows, which means CO\u2082 builds up throughout the day. Once CO\u2082 levels climb high enough, studies have shown cognitive performance<\/a> can fall significantly. People think they’re tired at 3 p.m., but often it’s because they’re breathing stale air.<\/p>\n That realization led us to hire Dr. Joe Allen<\/a> from Harvard, one of the world’s leading experts on healthy buildings. We toured around 20 offices looking for one with exceptional ventilation.<\/p>\n We eventually signed a 10-year lease for the entire penthouse floor at 25 Kent in Williamsburg because it has what Dr. Allen told us is the best ventilation system he’d seen in New York City. Clean air may sound boring, but if your business depends on creativity and focus, it matters.<\/p>\n Our benefits pay off<\/p>\n Every benefit we offer has one purpose: helping people stay healthy and spend more time doing meaningful work.<\/p>\n We’re not trying to coddle people. A lot of companies offer perks that end up distracting employees. We ask ourselves, “Can this help someone get into the flow?”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n