Dropbox CEO on remote work: ‘Employees value flexibility more than snacks’

Before the pandemic struck, Dropbox was like any other tech company – it had a huge office in San Francisco, a cafeteria stocked with awesome food and a bustling work culture. Covid, however, forced the company to reconsider its office work policy. Today, Dropbox follows a “Virtual First” approach that allows its employees a greater degree of flexibility, and its CEO says employees are happier working from home than enjoying cushy office perks.

Dropbox cofounder and CEO Drew Houston explained that this approach stems from his philosophy of treating employees like customers – which means giving them what they want.

Employees “value flexibility a lot more than snacks in the office,” Houston told The Verge in a recently-published interview while explaining why Dropbox has moved to a 90 percent remote work model. “At home, you can set up your environment exactly how you want it and not just have snacks but your dog and something that’s totally purpose-built for you,” he said.

“We will support however they want to gather,” added Houston. “But we're finding that these retreats and off-sites and things like that are often a lot more effective than asking people to commute.”