:: The Pizza Test ::

If you work for a start-up company, or for that matter any company at which you find yourself spending longer hours then expected - give it the Pizza Test. It's a simple test, it's tasty and it will tell you a lot about the company you work for.

Choose a normal working hour, 20:30 will be fine, and declare, in a loud voice, that you are about to order a pizza. Make sure CEO/Department Head/VP R∓D is present. After you gather your group, order those two big ones and wait.

The test is in the payment.

If the company pays for the Pizza and the tip, you are fine.

If the Pizza is covered but the tip is not, you are working for some cheap guys.

If none is covered - run away.

No, this is not some clever trick. God is in the details. Anyone can tell you employees are their strongest assets, but those who don't pay for the pizza will also find a clever lawyer to unhook them from the Employee Stock Option Plan. And we don't want that to happen, do we?

You would be surprised to hear how many start-ups here at the Wadi fail the Pizza test. Or would you?

Wadi Writer #1 (wadilist@mail.com)