Factories used to be arranged in a straight line. That's because there was one steam engine, and it turned a shaft. All the machines were set up along the shaft, with a belt giving each of them power. The office needed to be right next to this building, so management could monitor what was going on.

150 years later, why go to work in an office/plant/factory?

That's where the machines are. That's where the items I need to work on are. The boss needs to keep tabs on my productivity. There are important meetings to go to. It's a source of energy. The people I collaborate with all day are there. I need someplace to go.

But…

If you have a laptop, you probably have the machine already, in your house. If you do work with a keyboard and a mouse, the items you need to work on are on your laptop, not in the office. The boss can easily keep tabs on productivity digitally. How many meetings are important? If you didn't go, what would happen? You can get energy from people other than those in the same company. Of the 100 people in your office, how many do you collaborate with daily? So go someplace. But it doesn't have to be to your office.

If we were starting this whole office thing today, it's inconceivable we'd pay the rent/time/commuting cost to get what we get. I think in ten years the TV show 'the Office' will be seen as a quaint antique.

When you need to have a meeting, have a meeting. When you need to collaborate, collaborate. The rest of the time, do the work, wherever you like.

The gain in speed, productivity and happiness is massive. What's missing is #7… someplace to go. Once someone figures that part out, the office is dead.