In Toronto, we only get a few months of really nice weather, so when it’s not snowing, we like to move outside and enjoy the fresh air.  Our office has a patio – an actual patio! – and why shouldn’t we enjoy it?  There’s no reason to propagate the stereotype of programmers as pasty troglodytes crouched over dim screens in thrumming server rooms.  No!  We are pasty programmers who enjoy the great outdoors!

That being said, there are a few things we find necessary when moving our office outside in the summer:

  1. Lots of extension cords and good power-bars.
  2. A powerful router.
  3. Enough tables and chairs for the whole team – make sure they’re comfortable enough for developers, and sturdy enough for bad weather.
  4. Insect repellent (sometimes)
  5. A tent or awning.  We put up a covering over the patio to keep direct sun off us and our screens.  Protects us from glare and cancer.  And sometimes we drop screens off the sides, to ward off yellow jackets attracted by our food.  Speaking of food…
  6. A BBQ.  It is impossible to work outside without regular access to a BBQ.
  7. Understanding neighbours.

Interested in working with us?  We’d love to hear from you.  Contact us.

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Michael Atlin is a software developer at Ryatta Group. In his free time, he acts, writes plays and short stories, plays boardgames, and feeds cats.