Net Work

In Silicon Valley, startups that are growing faster than a speeding bullet don't have time to read the old management textbook. So out go rules, rigidity, and red tape. One Internet outfit that illustrates this with a lot of pizzazz is three-year-old Icarian Inc. Formed by Doug Merritt and his wife Rani Hublou Merritt, the company provides online software that helps companies hire and manage their workforces. Like Hair Club for Men, Icarian is not only the seller of this service, it's a customer. The founders use their software to foster a corporate culture that attracts and keeps workers in these volatile times.

A quick walk around Icarian's Sunnyvale (Calif.) offices shows just how friendly an environment they have created. Roller-hockey gear and balloons are everywhere. There's a foosball game roaring in the lunchroom. Dogs frolic in the hallways. But this is no Animal House. It's all about letting employees balance their lives with their intense work schedules, and recognizing, says Merritt, "that the best and most productive ideas often come from serendipity--a bike ride or a cup of coffee with a friend."