The fantasy sports site’s staff celebrates teamwork in and out of the office.
September 5, 2019 4 min read
This story appears in the September 2019 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
DraftKings really likes its odds. Since launching in 2012, the daily fantasy sports site has raised close to $650 million in funding, and has deftly navigated the thin legal line between skills-based games and gambling. Now the company has finally entered the $150 billion sports betting market, thanks to the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision that allows states to legalize the practice. As a result, DraftKings is betting on itself, evident in its recent hiring spree (employee count has doubled) as well as its new Boston HQ. Designed by IA Interior Architects, the space includes production studios, custom tickers with real-time fantasy salaries and odds, and sports-themed “huddle” spaces. Employees’ time is focused not just on sports but on the community they can help foster among customers. And as staffers themselves regularly link up to watch games or join in-house fantasy contests, they all feel like part of a winning team.
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Brijal Padia / VP, customer
“My team oversees all our customer touch points, and we have a Slack channel called Voice of the Community, where we reach out to a cohort of our customers for feedback about ideas we’re thinking about implementing. Their passion for our product is one of the things that makes working at DraftKings so special.”
Greg Karamitis / Senior vice president, daily fantasy sports product
“To be on our team, you need to be a really passionate sports fan. My team and I go out and watch the Thursday- and Monday-night football games and participate in a private fantasy contest among ourselves. We bond over watching sports, having drinks, and playing with the product.”
Gloria D’Itri / IT operations and logistics manager
“The beauty of our space is that we built our IT area in the middle of the office so people have the opportunity to walk up to our window for support. That way, they’re not just getting an email from the help desk — they can put a face to a name and build rapport with our team.”
Steph Lavayen / Paralegal
“My favorite spot is this one corner with a ginormous bean bag. I go there to work on talent agreements or contracts with players and their agents before any big event we have. It’s a space where I can think critically about whatever I’m working on.”
Mack Freedman / Senior manager, global real estate
“I plan offices for DraftKings, and this office took about 18 months. We interviewed every department about what they wanted to keep, toss, and create. We expanded workstations and added one-on-one rooms, phone rooms, and huddle areas. There’s tremendous value in listening to your customer, and in my position, my customer is the employee.”
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Annie Corbett / Lead, user research
“The coolest part of our new office is the UX lab that was built out just for my team. We’re able to bring people into this awesome space pretty regularly, and since there’s a one-way mirror, employees can see and hear customer feedback firsthand. It’s exciting to get people involved.”
Jacqueline Quill / Product manager, Sportsbook
“More often than not, everyone is here at night–and not because we’re grinding at work, but because we’re playing Ping-Pong or DDR or pool, or we have drinks or appetizers or karaoke nights. We may be talking about work, but we’re developing friendships beyond office hours. And that makes us more efficient and effective throughout the day.”
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