The Internet and Web 2.0 may finally be delivering the promise of telecommuting. Working in pure, golden silence, aside from the occasional twittering bird for me has always been one of my favorite things about working from home. I’ve always hated noisy offices and yet for some, working from home isn’t real work. Presence with others is subliminally viewed as being a form of legitimacy. Background noise is the norm and not the exception. Lack there of raises questions.
Which is where Thriving Office comes in.
It’s an insanely simple idea. One of those things you can’t help but think “why didn’t I think of that”.
Thriving Office is a recording of office noises.
The sales pitch says it all:
Small businesses know they must seem successful to become successful. So they play Thriving Office while they’re on the phone. This valuable CD is filled with the sounds people expect to hear from an established company, providing instant credibility
CEO Bill Freund tells me that the reach is broader again. Some buyers have purchased the CD to play when they are off the phone as a means to increase their productivity. A number of larger companies have also begun using the CD to supplement office sounds; the noise from Thriving Office being more effective than natural noise in the workplace in painting a picture of office life to customers.
An MP3 download is also available as an alternative to the CD.
I don’t like noise, but I can see the logic.
Some times it’s the simplest of ideas that work.
At first I thought that this was a CD to help you with simple sounds and something to keep you working more efficiently - like the great CDs at the W hotel.
But why would I want my consulting business to sound like a call center?
Sure if I am running “Allen’s Computer Help Center” maybe, but for a professional who wants to be taken seriously? I want my clients to know they have my full attention, this sounds like something that would make them wonder why they are working with me.
If anything, I could see warm soothing music at a low hum while chatting with a client. And what happens if this was to work? Then what… a client says “Hey Allen, Is that Bob talking with Sue about the SuperBowl in the background, I think I heard him when I called Joe last week!”
I guess I just don’t get it. Unless it’s a joke?
Now all you need is a company to produce a CD with twittering bird sounds for people to play them at the office in their iPods
What? There are birds on Twitter now?
Will it cover the sound of my dog barking at the most inopportune moments?
Looks like they got techcrunched; their server is down.
Perhaps “Thriving Cubicle” would be a better title. I don’t expect background noise from legitimate companies. Even t-mobile tech support has a wonderfully silent background, but I’m pretty sure they’re legit.
This is both hilarious and completely useless.
This is probably one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Literally.
Since when does Techrunch profile recordings of cubicle farm background noise? Must be a really slow news day…
Pretty funny and probably has its uses for those trying to present a larger company atmosphere. I cant see anyone actually spending money on this though unless its a joke. As a joke this would be a great gift for anyone that works from home.
Does anyone seriously miss the sounds of water cooler banter and high school antics of working in an office? Does anyone really honestly miss having their personal lives scrutinized and the weekly Thursday night beer party socials? Its hard to believe that a product of this nature had to be manufactured to keep people who work at home to feel “plugged in” to some sort of social fabric.
This is gut churning and ulcer producing. I for one do not miss the terrible daily torture of going to an office and enduring the lame, miserable crap around me. I don’t miss them to the point of plunking down my hard earned cash that I made while working outside the system — in order to hear bullshit from the world I left behind.
I mean, honestly.
Interesting, the only problem is you have to remember to turn it on from your computer before you answer the phone or call out…
Also, most top executives are in their private offices and will usually close the door - and call center operators now wear noise canceling headphones - so this would only be convincing for pretending to be in a cubicle type office environment.
Leon
something different
Is this product a joke? Its like a nature / sleep cd only really annoying and 100% useless.
I really honestly can’t find a reason to buy this CD. If they sell a ton, then it was a great idea. I still am sitting here thinking — Why? Why would I want this? Most of us already know how distracting the office environment is.
Rex
Hah, Rex, I had the same exact thoughts about myspace when it first came out. Still think it’s a godawful stupid site, but a lot of people seem to disagree.
PERFECT! Now I can tell if my noise cancelling headphones’ batteries have run out while I’m working at home.
How on earth is this an original idea?? I think this got started with all those boiler room finance opertions in the 80’s that would have two guys sharing a desk and would like to pretend they were in a wall street dealing room - hence a tape of dealing room background noise was looped.
Very surprized that this made it onto TechCrunch, I must submit my ringtones affiliate site…
ha, does it also come with bosses who take conversations around and around in circles. totally miss that.
i just get car alarms and gardeners now
So, this product helps artificially simulate a “natural” office environment? Hah, Dilbert would get a kick out of this. Maybe version 2 will come with pretend fluorescent lights, carpet smell, and uncomfortable chairs.
@those trying to figure out the ‘benefits’ of the disc:
For the most part it’s not meant to entertain, rather create the impression of a busy brick and mortar office while, for instance, on the phone with a client. Does the concept sound ridiculous and would you feel odd using it? Perhaps. But make no mistake, perception is key.
yes, this isnt new. there is such cd`s since quite a while, but this guy is really good promoting it he got into many newspapers and magazines also techcrunch =)
wonder how many ppl buy it but i guess we wont find out.. its a good instrument for telesales, and also for motivating yourself i will try it this week, bought the busy mp3.
play this cd when your boss’s on trip and call you to check if everyone’s busy at work
Seriously, this has got to be the stupidest post I’ve seen on TC - almost made me unsubscribe.
I read about this in an IBM newsletter. My daughter-in-law, who is a graphic artist now working at home, had this suggestion for the next release:
That is so great. And for us designers, does it include an alternate track
with background noises of a warehouse-sized press running, complete with
brownouts of the lights and computers as it kicks on and off?
I work from home and prospect on the phone. I bought this and started using it. I actually had a prospect say - and I quote - “sounds pretty busy over there” to which I replied “Yes, we stay pretty busy.”
I booked an appointment.
I do have one complaint; I wish it was longer than twelve minutes and I wish there were more variety of sounds. Seems I hear the same sounds more than once during the track, although I have not actually verified that.
I am working at a temporary desk in the corporate library for 12 months. It is SILENT around here. Drives me nuts. Puts me to sleep. Completely saps my motivation.
I am dying for anything besides the sound of the HVAC system.
I like my quiet times too, when I am sleeping or reading. But not working!
This CD is perfect for those people who can’t stand to work in silence.
I can’t stand to work in silence either, makes me realise my own insecurities, maybe people who are confident can run a business without any background noise, but i find it very effective. It’s more for personal motivation than for my clients to hear however. I just loop the cd and this is fine.