> I grew up with a cartoon idea of a very successful businessman (in the cartoon it was always a man): a rapacious, cigar-smoking, table-thumping guy in his fifties who wins by exercising power, and isn't too fussy about how.<p>I think when something new comes about it can't _look_ like something old if it wants to succeed. Basically it's hard to build a successful startup by looking like a cartoon businessman from the 80's, wearing a tie, being overtly and openly aggressive etc.<p>If you're building something new and "cool" you had to be playful, dress informally, wear hoodie or t-shirt, on the surface appear to be super nice and friendly. Of course business is business and at the end of the day someone is getting stabbed in the back. But before that day comes it is all hugs, smiles and pats on the back.<p>Anyone remember Google, how they succeeded not just by providing a better search experience, by also by building a "cool" company image -- playful bright colors, the whole "don't be evil" shtick, we'll feed you with gourmet food, etc. They were positioning themselves to be as different as possible from a traditional company.<p>Now the funny thing is, the image of the startup has also become cartoonish with the shows like the "Silicon Valley" running for a few years. So CEOs wearing hoodies, being all informal and superficially nice, open office spaces and so on is getting a bit stale.<p>I wonder what's next. Back to wearing ties and smoking cigars? Probably not. But I have heard people say they'd rather get back to having the previously derided and hated cubicles than doing the "cool" open office plan.<p>Maybe working remotely is the new thing? But some companies have been doing that for a while as well. I hope that's the next revolution, when large giants as Google and Facebook, who sell digital connectivity as their primary product embrace the digital connectivity themselves and don't require workers to be in a physical location to get work done.