Startup Founder's Strategy For Peak Productivity: Gift Employees Rs 3 Lakh Mattresses So They 'Sleep Better'

While global companies rapidly fire employees due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, a US-based CEO has taken a highly unconventional approach to workplace productivity. Matan Grinberg, chief executive officer (CEO) of AI startup Factory, has invested thousands of dollars to buy premium mattresses for his staff. His specific strategy ensures employees sleep properly so they can bring their A-game to work daily. By directly prioritising rest, Grinberg said he was aiming to boost overall company efficiency and maximise output.

Drawing comparison to the NBA, Grinberg argued that his engineers need adequate rest to perform at their highest level, just like elite athletes.

"I want to make sure everyone is squeezing out every ounce of brain power they have," Grinberg told Business Insider. "To do that, you need to get good sleep."

When his startup had just 30 employees, Grinberg bought and distributed $3,000 (Rs 2.83 lakh) Eight Sleep mattress covers to the entire team. These high-tech covers regulate bed temperature using internal liquid, allowing partners to customise their respective sides. The latest models also feature automated elevation controls to raise or lower the mattress.

"I think that the idea there is like we are optimising for output and the people that we are bringing onto the team, it's like Seal Team Six, like the NBA Allstars, like it is worth every dollar to make them more productive and, you know, to deliver on these ambitious goals that we have," said Grinberg.

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No Processed Sugar

Apart from making sure his employees are sleeping adequately, Grinberg has also limited access to processed sugar at the office. He argues that sugar is not good for focus, and instead the startup spends money on more expensive snacks, like protein chips and canned matcha.

Quizzed if he was trying to emulate tech companies from the 2010s who had bouncy castles at the workplace, Grinberg said it wasn't his aim, adding that those perks were "unrelated to work".

Factory, founded in 2023, has expanded quickly. The company now employs around 120 people and secured $150 million in funding in April. Investors backing the business include Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Blackstone. Though the new employees have not received the luxury mattresses, Grinberg said he was considering making them a "standard issue," or at least a comparable health stipend.