This essay is based on a conversation with Nathaneo Johnson (22). co-founding seriesan AI-powered social network based in New York. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
When my food costs exceeded $13,500 a month, I knew there was a problem with my startup.
Until late last year, most of that money was going to DoorDash. Paying for our team’s meals is a very important part of our ability to move quickly. I think I’ll save at least two hours a day by not having to leave the office to buy food.
We moved into a new office with a kitchen and realized that hiring a personal chef might be much cheaper than ordering meals every day. Within a week or so, my co-founder and I hired someone.
It may seem strange to have a professional chef on a team of eight people, but I don’t think that chef would bankrupt me or give me any negative connotations that would ruin the trajectory of my company. Although there was some initial pushback, this change has given us the opportunity to be healthier and more productive.
Some employees said I was a little crazy for suggesting they hire a private chef.
My team loved being able to order what they wanted through DoorDash. So I knew I had to be a chef that would appeal to any restaurant in New York City that I would order from.
We posted on TikTok that we were looking for a chef, reached out to people who expressed interest in the comments, and started interviewing. My first interview and test meal didn’t go well, but I still wanted to pursue it a little further.
We interviewed several candidates and had a test meal. The chef we hired was the third person we tested. Her cooking was excellent and by that time the team was convinced the chef was the best idea.
Our chefs typically work more hours than the rest of the team
Our chefs typically work 9-5 hours. This may vary depending on your operational needs. Her salary is lower than those on the business side, but her income is in the low five digits. In addition to her salary, she also gets a free gym membership and a monthly grocery allowance that can be used for team meals.
There are 9 of us in total including her. She cooks three home-style meals for us throughout the day. Some people have dietary restrictions or calorie goals, so she takes that into account when planning her weekly menu.
Series Private Chef in New York Office Provided by Nathaneo Johnson
She tries to make healthy meals for us. Breakfast is usually maple bacon, protein pancakes, and green juice. For lunch, I often request chicken meatballs or buffalo hot honey cornflake chicken tenders and salad, as well as steak.
Most of the time, everyone is satisfied. You can also order food with your own money if you wish, although there are a few people who complain about it being noisy.
Eating healthier has increased productivity
Honestly, the biggest benefit is the nutrition and balance of the meals we eat now. I wasn’t eating as healthy when I was constantly ordering food. Especially when it was late, we ordered from places like Five Guys and Popeyes.
I’ve found that small things like drinking a green juice in the morning every day help me start my day off right more than anything else. I don’t feel as much brain fog anymore. I feel more productive.
I also think the benefits will only increase over time as people become less sick and become more mindful of their diets overall.
The team reviews the weekly menu. Provided by Nathaneo Johnson
I don’t recommend this for all startups
I think a private chef needs an appropriate environment in a corporate office to work. We are lucky to have this mixed space in New York with a separate kitchen.
We don’t see, smell, or hear what’s going on in the kitchen. Our chef simply tells you to come to the conference room when your food arrives. I don’t think hiring a chef will work without this setup. It will probably be crowded and you don’t want to smell food all day long.
I will try it as soon as the AI model cooks the food for me.
We recently downsized our team by a few people to make sure each role was truly needed. At one time there was a chief of staff. This was one of the roles we tried, but given the small size of the team, it didn’t seem like a good fit.
If you’re not an expert, if you can’t do anything better than everyone else in the room, you shouldn’t be here. I think creativity and vision are always shaped by humans. Everything else can and probably will be replaced to some degree.
The decision to hire a personal chef was based on efficiency and cost considerations, but I have no doubt that chefs will be replaced by AI in the near future.
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