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Welcome to the Dog House

So you really want to know what it’s like inside one of the best technology incubator spaces in the country?  Well, allow me to introduce the one, the only, One Cambridge Center, home to Dogpatch Labs and Techstars.  As Founder of BlockAvenue, my team and I have been more than lucky to have this as our homebase.  Nestled in the middle of Kendall square and just 13 short steps from the MIT campus stands the ultimate fraternity house for computer geeks complete geniuses.  Also recognized as the Microsoft Building, this 50,000-sq/ft. powerhouse is home to 50+ startup companies all under one roof, all sharing one goal: pure innovation.

What’s Inside:
Spanning the entire floor, and without a single wall separating anyone, is one massive “think tank” filled with the most talented entrepreneurs and software developers around.  Neatly packed into the space is a series of small and large conference rooms, usability labs, a kitchen pretty much always stocked and, of course, a huge game room complete with a pro ping-pong table, never ending foosball tournaments, and plenty of comfy couches to nap on meet with investors.  It’s truly the perfect setup for any entrepreneur to thrive in and with developers pulling all-nighters pretty regularly, you can sum it up as a 24/7 workspace.

What You Get:
Access.  Sweet, sweet, access- it’s as simple as that.  Dogpatch residents get complete access to the best of the best and then some.  Let alone access to neighboring entrepreneurs in every nook and cranny, there’s also access to an abundance of outside companies that constantly visit the office to learn about each business and meet the masterminds behind them.  From services like legal, accounting, private equity, venture capital, new products and technologies- there are always companies or personnel willing to give advice or lend a hand.

Just last week I sat in on a seminar presented by Wilmer Hale regarding company structure & legal documentation.  Then, a few hours later I hopped in on a MongoDB session just a few doors down.  Needless to say, this would pretty much never happen in any ordinary office building.  Nope, the Dogpatch community truly is in a league of its own.  There’s a huge pay-it-forward aurora here and I swear, as long as someone’s headphones aren’t in and they’re not on the verge of a huge technological breakthrough, the willingness to help out on the spot is incessant.

How You Get In:
I know what you’re thinking, how does anybody find their way into this startup haven?  I wish I could tell you filling out an online application was enough, but the key factor is putting in the additional effort to stand out from the crowd.  From what I hear, applications flood in daily and unless you want to be another fish in a sea of rejection, going the extra mile is crucial.  It’s what separates the winners from the losers, the gold from the silver, the Michael Phelps from…well, you get the picture.

When BlockAvenue was trying to get into Dogpatch, we went through three rounds of interviews and pitches and that was after being referred in by a local well respected venture capitalist.  It was not easy, but OH was it worth it.  So, if you want in, think extraordinary measures, as in renting an airplane with one of those banners saying “PICK ME GUS WEBER!”   If you want to catch the attention of the man in charge of it all, you will have to buzz the tower 6th floor.

My Typical Day:
I usually get to DPL around 7:30, which is considered very early by geek standards.  Aside from Gus, who’s usually here earlier than me when he’s not in Palo Alto, and the few people who slept under their desks, the early mornings are pretty quiet.  Taking full advantage of the calm before the storm, I spend my mornings plowing through emails, checking twitter, and reading up on some industry news which for me is StreetfighterInmanTC & AG.  Residents start strolling in around 9:30, but the space really doesn’t start buzzing until about 10:30.  NOTE: Now is the time to grab a whiteboard session- these conference rooms are a hot commodity when the space is full during the day.

After a solid 5-hour morning, I usually grab one of our guys (or gals) to head out for a quick lunch and small ping-pong session.  Believe it or not, there’s nothing more liberating than a mid-day ping-pong match to get the blood a-goin and brainstorms a-flowin.  Before you know it, the day is almost over and it’s time to sit down with the team and setup goals for the next day.

As you can see, working in the Dogpatch Labs does have its perks, but to say it’s a work-hard play-hard kind of environment is an understatement.  Take away the bouncy ball chairs and wireless helicopters flying around and this place is all business – probably producing more workable units than any other office that you have every worked in.  This is what makes working at the Dogpatch Labs in Cambridge so special.  Since everybody loves what they are doing or creating, coming to work the office everyday is not only enjoyable, but it’s fun.  Here are some highlights that other DPL companies have said about working here:

“Dogpatch brings together some of the brightest and most exciting startups around, and along with them some of the smartest folks in the startup space.  Working alongside them gives us the ability to share ideas regularly, whether technical, business or otherwise.  Another major advantage is getting immediate product feedback from people working near you; being able to lean over someone’s shoulder as they try out your product has been invaluable in accelerating our product development.  Dogpatch also provides a great social atmosphere with like-minded people helping us significantly extend our professional networks.” –Raj Aggarwal from Localytics

“For me, I think the best part of working here is knowing I can ask anyone for help if I need some inspiration.  The ability to find answers for X, Y, and Z is easy since there are so many tech companies around.  So that’s great, and the fact that we haven’t been kicked out yet for burning down the building!” –Manny Malandrakis from ByteLight

Well said, my friends, well said.  What do you like best about where you work?  Think your office is as cool as ours?  Let us know by sharing below!

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/channels/welcome-to-the-dog-house/