(Soon to be) San Francisco -- April 1, 2022 -- Today the global legaltech company, Logikcull, the leader in cloud-based DIY discovery, announced it will be requiring all employees to return to its headquarter offices in San Francisco on June 1. The announcement, coming on the ninth anniversary of the launch of its popular cloud-based platform, Logikcull.com, marks a pivot in the company’s stance on remote work, which to this point has been crucial in its growth.
“Getting back to the office will reacquaint Logikbots with the things that made this company great in the first place: 360-degree whiteboard walls and nitro cold brew on tap,” said Logikcull CEO Andy Wilson, who lives in Bend, Oregon, but will begin commuting to the Bay Area via private jet this summer.
“We made a bet in February 2020 that going fully-remote would result in a more nimble product and go-to-market approach, better employee morale, and a stronger overall culture. And while those things may be true, from an innovation standpoint, you can’t put a price on conference rooms and a full-size ping pong table.”
Nor, the company says, can you quantify the value of spontaneous inspiration -- those “a-ha!” moments that can only occur when you’re Slacking the person sitting directly next to you.
With only a couple months to go before reopening, the executive team is heads-down making preparations for a smooth transition.
Wilson and CTO Sheng Yang, known dad-rock fans, said they are prepping a Pearl Jam Spotify playlist to be blasted on loop through HQ's new retrofitted Sonos sound system, and are even considering making it collaborative as a team-building exercise.
"It's such a breath of fresh air to be coming back," Yang, who was recently forced to sell his home in L.A. in a fire sale, said. "As developers, we sit behind a screen all day. Now we get to sit behind a screen all day, but we can hear the finance team do whatever they do."
Brick and Mortar Is Back
While it initially looked as if remote work was here to stay, bellwether technology companies, including some of Logikcull’s nearest competitors, have seemingly come full circle in their attitudes toward brick-and-mortar operations.
“Real companies have four walls.' That’s my favorite Steve Jobs quote,” said Russell Sachs, Logikcull Chief Revenue Officer, who started with the company remotely, but who will now be leading the go-to-market teams from a 12,000-square-foot compound, which takes inspiration from the office in “Boiler Room”, in his hometown of Manhattan.
“I had noticed people getting soft,” Sachs said, “especially our sellers in Omaha, Greensboro, Raleigh and other towns where you can still afford to live. Well, guess what? When you’re paying $4000 a month to rent out a closet, you have no other option but to hit quota.”
A Credibility Problem
Logikcull, which is currently rated a 4.8 on Glassdoor, a website that sources anonymous feedback from its employees on company culture, said that part of the thinking behind the decision to return to in-person work was to rebuild its reputation.
“We have an authenticity problem. I mean, our most recent review is titled ‘Truly Amazing Company,’” LauraLee De Leon, Logikcull VP of People and (once again) Places, said with an eye roll. “Like, tone it down, people. Good candidates don’t buy that crap for a second.”
“It’s become a real challenge,” said Robert Hilson, VP of Marketing. “Our product scores a 4.7 out of 5 on G2, which nobody takes seriously either. You want to be closer to the middle of the pack, down around Relativity, for credibility.”
This isn’t to say that Logikcull won’t continue to invest in a culture that’s yielded top marks in the space, and that has driven a company which now touts more than 1,600 customers and 37,000 users -- only that it will invest in different ways.
“Our main short-term strategic focus is exercise balls,” said Laura McDermott, Logikcull Head of Talent. “Top talent seems to respond to our investment in a healthy core.”
In-person perks like unlimited Soylent, kombucha, Vitamin Water, and Bare Crunchy Fruit Chips, which are proven to boost morale and help recruiting, are also on the horizon.
Logikcull will resume its primary operations at 111 Sutter Street in San Francisco, in a corridor of empty high-rises, in close proximity to the Powell Street BART stop and four abandoned bubble tea shops.
For further information, visit logikcull.com/company or logikcull.com/careers.
Press Contact
Robert Hilson
VP of Marketing
786-436-3157
robert.hilson@logikcull.com
