I am a die-hard enjoy-life-together type. I have, however, found — often to my dismay — that the leading reason people eat lunch alone — often out and alone — is simply to get away from people. Tech people tend to be introverts and dragging some of them out for lunch is a tall order. Seeing a pattern, I asked those close to me what the deal was. “I spend my day around people. They ask me questions, they want me to do stuff. Lunch alone is essential for me to get the energy for the second half of the day, “ was the essential response.

Let’s face it. Startup culture is an extraverted place. We like open floor spaces, cross-functional teams and work so hard to remove obstacles in communication. And effective communication is full of emotions passion. I know, I love it! It’s why I spent my career in companies under 200 employees.

The one thing I never tried to find in a startup is peace! And for some this is absolutely essential to find their sanity.

I like brown bag lunches once a week — tech talks and such — but I keep them optional.