Fun leads to success – The Flatfox team

We give you an insight into everyday life in the Flatfox office in the Binz Quarter in Zurich.

Talking shop at the shiny chrome coffee machine, playing video games in lunch breaks and guests greeted by bare-footed founders: the atmosphere at Flatfox is in many ways like that of a young start-up.

However, its number of employees, offices in Zurich’s Binz district and focused working environment point to a well-established company in the property sector. With the company founded in 2012, it took a while for the four founders - who got to know each other while working together in well-paid jobs and subsequently resigning together - to fine-tune their idea of a digital lettings business. The first permanent position at the company was in 2017 and the team grew to 16 people in 2018.

The Flatfox team at the joint lunch table

The laid-back office dog Romeo, as well as the diversity of the team contribute to a positive atmosphere. People from Graubünden and Poland are overrepresented, with the Poles winning by a narrow margin because another member of the team is married to a Polish woman and lived in Warsaw for a long time.

Every weekend our colleagues from Graubünden head to the mountains and breeze into the office on Monday morning, revitalised after large doses of fresh air (but often covered in scratches from cycling). Another employee provides insights into her Aramean culture and talks about the extravagant weddings that she is invited to almost every other weekend in summer. Conversations often take place at the communal lunch table. Most often, the latest diets and protein content of individual foods, as well as hot new fitness trends and fun sports activities are discussed (or scratches are compared).

It's clear that fun plays a big part in the team members' lives, and risk-taking, too. One team member goes kitesurfing during their holidays, another has just bought a motorbike. Team events also play an important role, but they unfortunately don't always end very well. During last winter’s sledging fun, the desire to win slightly outweighed the risk assessment. Afterwards, the team member in question, who spent days on end with their foot in a cast, received plenty of Netflix tips to pass the time and sarcastic comments on their competitive nature.