ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Demographics & Advertising Rates
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Search
    Generic filters
    California Business Journal
    51 °f
    Los Angeles
    62 ° Fri
    62 ° Sat
    70 ° Sun
    72 ° Mon
    67 ° Tue
    63 ° Wed
    • Front Page
    • Business
      • Insurance
      • Real Estate
    • Finance
      bitcoin of america

      The power of Bitcoin of America intensifies

      venture-capital-investment

      Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv Firm NextLeap Ventures Rising To The Next Level

      stock-market-3

      How the Inflow of Retail Traders is Changing Stock Market Dynamics

      Bitcoin

      Big Changes May Be Coming For Cryptocurrency

    • People
    • Featured
      Dr. Chris Harts4

      Oventus Medical Is Revolutionizing the Treatment of Sleep Apnea

      blockchain2

      Blockchain.com Value Reaches $5.2 Billion

      bitcoin of america

      The power of Bitcoin of America intensifies

      alone at beach

      One Fine Outlook

      Graham-Michael-Byers No. 4

      The Prince of Puerto Rico

    • Technology
      Higher Education Adapts to Covid Using IT

      How Higher Education Has Adapted to Covid-19 Using IT Tools

      NEC X Figure 3_Shige Ihara

      Fast Tracking Technologies … To The World

      Welcome to the construction industry’s automated augment

      Tech Future Healthcare1

      Technology and the Future of Health Care

    • Law
      Doctor getting second opinion on patients x-ray

      What To Do If You’ve Received Improper Medical Treatment

      Mediation-For-Couples (1)

      What is Mediation and How It Can Help?

      What are the legal obligations of businesses and what happens when these duties are breached?

      Nicole Kuklok-Waldman Headshot

      Commentary: How to Bounce Back from a Canceled Career 

    • News
      blockchain2

      Blockchain.com Value Reaches $5.2 Billion

      Negative Google reviews1

      How to Handle Negative Google Reviews

      SleepScore Labs

      The Final Score

      Passports on a map of the world

      If Your Employees with U.S. Passports are Traveling in 2021, Start Planning Now

    • Human Interest
      • Food
      • Art & Culture
    • Education
      Charles Smith

      Commentary: Executive Team Alignment is More Essential Now Than Ever

      payroll expenditure or revenue

      How Can a Business Carry Out Payroll Effectively?

      Jean-Paul Gravel, founder of ThroughConversation3

      5 Relationship Challenges That High-Achievers Face (and How to Fix Them)

      self hypnotic2

      The UpNow Self-Hypnosis App: Making Mental Health Affordable and Accessible

    • Health & Fitness
      Woman climber on a Klettersteig (Via Ferrata)

      6 Unique Ways to Stay Fit Outdoors This Summer

      WOMAN WORKING OUT

      Taking the Gym Home: Hot Selling Items During the Pandemic

      silhouette-of-man-and-woman-running

      3 Reasons to Start Working Out … This Month

      The Surprising Link between Gut Health and Mental Health

    California Business Journal
    • Front Page
    • Business
      • Insurance
      • Real Estate
    • Finance
      bitcoin of america

      The power of Bitcoin of America intensifies

      venture-capital-investment

      Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv Firm NextLeap Ventures Rising To The Next Level

      stock-market-3

      How the Inflow of Retail Traders is Changing Stock Market Dynamics

      Bitcoin

      Big Changes May Be Coming For Cryptocurrency

    • People
    • Featured
      Dr. Chris Harts4

      Oventus Medical Is Revolutionizing the Treatment of Sleep Apnea

      blockchain2

      Blockchain.com Value Reaches $5.2 Billion

      bitcoin of america

      The power of Bitcoin of America intensifies

      alone at beach

      One Fine Outlook

      Graham-Michael-Byers No. 4

      The Prince of Puerto Rico

    • Technology
      Higher Education Adapts to Covid Using IT

      How Higher Education Has Adapted to Covid-19 Using IT Tools

      NEC X Figure 3_Shige Ihara

      Fast Tracking Technologies … To The World

      Welcome to the construction industry’s automated augment

      Tech Future Healthcare1

      Technology and the Future of Health Care

    • Law
      Doctor getting second opinion on patients x-ray

      What To Do If You’ve Received Improper Medical Treatment

      Mediation-For-Couples (1)

      What is Mediation and How It Can Help?

      What are the legal obligations of businesses and what happens when these duties are breached?

      Nicole Kuklok-Waldman Headshot

      Commentary: How to Bounce Back from a Canceled Career 

    • News
      blockchain2

      Blockchain.com Value Reaches $5.2 Billion

      Negative Google reviews1

      How to Handle Negative Google Reviews

      SleepScore Labs

      The Final Score

      Passports on a map of the world

      If Your Employees with U.S. Passports are Traveling in 2021, Start Planning Now

    • Human Interest
      • Food
      • Art & Culture
    • Education
      Charles Smith

      Commentary: Executive Team Alignment is More Essential Now Than Ever

      payroll expenditure or revenue

      How Can a Business Carry Out Payroll Effectively?

      Jean-Paul Gravel, founder of ThroughConversation3

      5 Relationship Challenges That High-Achievers Face (and How to Fix Them)

      self hypnotic2

      The UpNow Self-Hypnosis App: Making Mental Health Affordable and Accessible

    • Health & Fitness
      Woman climber on a Klettersteig (Via Ferrata)

      6 Unique Ways to Stay Fit Outdoors This Summer

      WOMAN WORKING OUT

      Taking the Gym Home: Hot Selling Items During the Pandemic

      silhouette-of-man-and-woman-running

      3 Reasons to Start Working Out … This Month

      The Surprising Link between Gut Health and Mental Health

    Search
      Generic filters
      California Business Journal

      Human Interest: How Ping Pong became Silicon Valley’s favorite sport

      Dedicated movements and groups like Startup Ping Pong started ping pong tournaments that led to a new workplace culture.

      by Shawn Price, Staff Writer, California Business Journal
      A A
      Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

      Ping pong and table tennis have become part of “the new startup culture.” So much so that it has become Silicon Valley’s favorite sport. In fact, there are dedicated movements and groups like Startup Ping Pong that hold startup ping pong tournaments in the Bay Area.  

      Reinventing Office Space

      Tech startups are renowned for taking matters into their own hands. With their entire aim to bring innovation to the marketplace, it only makes sense to them to try and do things differently – and this includes back at their base.

      If you get the chance to take a walk through the offices of tech companies, you’ll see things run differently to other businesses. Mobile working stations, dedicated gaming sections, cafes, walls you can write on, portable pool tables and, of course, ping pong; these are just a few examples but the list goes on and on. It’s all about creating a relaxed environment.

      But even so, while it’s great to not always conform with the status quo, these quirks aren’t greeted with such a positive mindset from others outside the industry, particularly when it comes to defining working culture.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Culture refers to the people and how they interact with each other in the environment, rather than purely relying on the bells and whistles.

      And it’s for this reason that having ping pong tables around is key to both startups and thriving organizations around the world.

      Purpose

      Ping pong first started to crop up in the tech office space back in the 1990s. 

      Its purpose back then wasn’t just used as a way to show how the company encourages creativity and growth. Instead, ping pong was popular because it was one of the few sports that people of all ages could play and enjoy, along with helping to promote critical thinking skills.

      Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at New York University, Wendy Suzuki, has been looking into how ping pong impacts our brains. Her studies led to her labeling ping pong as a “brain sport” back in 2011.

      She’s not along in this thinking. Will Shortz, the creator of many New York Times puzzles, has gone on the record himself claiming that ping pong is the best brain sport there is. He compares the strategies involved to “chess on steroids”.

      Further, another reason why Silicon Valley loves ping pong is that not only does it stimulate the brain, but it also acts as a social hub for team members to interact and get to know one another better. When teams are more connected, communication becomes a lot easier.

      The End Goal

      Tech companies understand people are not able to function at their best when they spend a lot of time on one task. If they are to achieve their end goal and change the world, everyone must be able to work at their best. 

      For this reason, ping pong breaks are actively encouraged and have become a staple in tech office working culture. Some may get their daily exercise from playing every day, but it’s mainly there as a productivity tool.

      Tags: bay areabraincreatorculturegamingHow Ping Pong became Silicon Valley’s favorite sportinnovationmarketplaceneuroscienceNew YorkPing PongprofessorpsychologyscienceSilicon ValleyskillsstartupsSuzukiValley
      ADVERTISEMENT
      Shawn Price, Staff Writer, California Business Journal

      Shawn Price, Staff Writer, California Business Journal

      WHAT TO READ NEXT

      Charles Smith
      Editor's Choice

      Commentary: Executive Team Alignment is More Essential Now Than Ever

      April 14, 2021
      payroll expenditure or revenue
      Education

      How Can a Business Carry Out Payroll Effectively?

      April 14, 2021
      Jean-Paul Gravel, founder of ThroughConversation3
      Education

      5 Relationship Challenges That High-Achievers Face (and How to Fix Them)

      April 12, 2021
      self hypnotic2
      Education

      The UpNow Self-Hypnosis App: Making Mental Health Affordable and Accessible

      April 12, 2021
      Fintech
      Education

      3 Innovative Funds To Invest In 2021

      April 12, 2021
      Freelance
      Education

      5 Clever Ways To Earn More Money Outside Of Your Job

      April 12, 2021
      Next Post

      What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Online Casinos

      Follow Us

      ADVERTISEMENT

      Categories

      • Art & Culture
      • Business
      • Editor's Choice
      • Education
      • Featured
      • Finance
      • Food & Dining
      • Health & Fitness
      • Human Interest
      • Insurance
      • Law
      • Marketing
      • Medical
      • News
      • People
      • Popular
      • Real Estate
      • Social Media
      • Technology
      • Uncategorized

      CBJ Partner Firebrand Media

      Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper

      Laguna Beach Magazine

      Laguna Beach City Guide

      On The Menu Laguna Beach

      Newport Beach Independent Newspaper

      Newport Beach Magazine

      Newport Beach Country Club Magazine

      Coastal Real Estate Guide (NB,LB, CDM)

      Montage Magazine

      Monarch Beach Resort Magazine

      Pacific Coast Magazine (SoCal)

      Omni Escapes Hotel Magazine

      Sea Island Life Magazine

      Salamander Hotel & Resorts Magazine

      Bespoke Concierge New York

      Evans Hotels

      View our entire portfolio here

      ADVERTISEMENT
      ADVERTISEMENT
      Facebook Twitter LinkedIn LinkedIn Instagram
      C B J   LOGO  SVG-01
      • About
      • Contact
      • Testimonials
      • Demographics & Advertising Rates

      Newsletter

      Most Viewed

      • Judge gavel, scales of justice and law books in court

        Lawsuit Basics: How Much Does It Cost to Sue Someone?

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • THE ONLY WAY

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0
      • REPORT: TECH GIANT CISCO ABOUT TO LAY OFF 14,000

        0 shares
        Share 0 Tweet 0

      Latest Articles

      Charles Smith

      Commentary: Executive Team Alignment is More Essential Now Than Ever

      April 14, 2021
      payroll expenditure or revenue

      How Can a Business Carry Out Payroll Effectively?

      April 14, 2021
      Jean-Paul Gravel, founder of ThroughConversation3

      5 Relationship Challenges That High-Achievers Face (and How to Fix Them)

      April 12, 2021

      California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
      Site Design by 1REALTOUR

      Search
        Generic filters
        • Front Page
        • Business
          • Insurance
          • Real Estate
        • Finance
        • People
        • Featured
        • Technology
        • Law
        • News
        • Human Interest
          • Food
          • Art & Culture
        • Education
        • Health & Fitness

        California Business Journal | California Business News, California News Media, California business articles | Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Inland Empire, Northern California, San Francisco | Huntington Beach CA 92649 | (949) 648-3815
        ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY CALIFORNIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.
        Site Design by 1REALTOUR