On my first visit to Autodesk, I look out the glassed-in lobby to see deer on the foggy hills of San Rafael. I immediately fell in love with Marin County, California’s little gem on the other side of Golden Gate bridge. It’s 20 miles north of Sausalito, where Autodesk was founded. So enchanted were Autodeskers of Marin, they forced CEO Carol Bartz to make a 120 mile round trip from her home in Atherton.
Autodesk official headquarters on McInnes Parkway, San Rafael, CA, but most of its executives can be found at the One Market Street offices in San Francisco. Picture courtesy of TheRegistry.com.
But Carl Bass set up shop in the city with BuzzSaw. He was reeled back to San Rafael to rejoin Autodesk. I’m not sure he ever loved Marin. He kept an office in San Francisco. Autodesk hired more and more people at the One Market St office in the city. It was a ferry ride from Berkeley, where Carl lived – and a damn sight closer to the talent the company needed. Developers, marketers, and other tech workers… anyone new that arrived at Autodesk would end up at the One Market office. Over the years, San Rafael offices has reduced their floor space. Autodesk headquarters are officially in San Rafael for tax purposes, someone whispered to me.
In the move to the city, Autodesk is not alone. According to an article in the Washington post, Caterpillar, MacDonald’s, Kraft Heinz, Motorola and more, are pulling out of suburban offices and heading downtown. As more companies are getting into tech, and experiences shortages among tach workers, it makes sense to be nearer the talent pool.
Every little perk helps, like being able to get take out from a hundred restaurants and trucks, take a break in a coffee shop, meet friends after work and take a Lyft back home. The view of San Francisco Bay may not have deer and turkeys in it, but it’s not bad.
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