Writing CDN Code on the Beach

In April 2006, all four employees of San Francisco software developer Red Swoosh Inc. decamped to a beach in Thailand - for six weeks. They hoped to rejuvenate a team, and product, that had fallen into a rut. The Red Swoosh team battled bugs, monkeys and tropical squalls while writing code on laptops at a seaside cafe. And that, says founder Travis Kalanick, was exactly what they needed. By the time the group returned in June, it had not only rewritten the software and reworked an Internet-sales site, but boosted morale and bonded as a team, he says. "It definitely helps you think out of the box," says Mr. Kalanick. He arranged a three-week trip to Mexico this year and hopes to do it again next year.