T: What do you get when you combine more than 350 Angie’s List employees, limited hardware from a home-improvement store, crazy costumes, hay bales and checkered flags? Why, it’s the Angie’s List Soapbox Derby, of course!
Like the first-annual “Angie’s List 500”, this year’s Derby was held on Memorial Day weekend, just two days before another little race called the Indy 500.
Like the Indy 500, the goal of the Angie’s List Soapbox Derby is to build a really fast car. But at the Angie’s List 500, fostering company culture and cooperation is just as important as building a winning car using limited supplies and time, according to Angie’s List CEO Bill Oesterle.
Bill: We randomly select teams so people can get to know folks from other departments, and we give them limited resources and we try to have them be as creative as possible.
T: Oesterle asked Sara Lunsford, director of publications at Angie’s List, to head up the Derby’s organization last year, and this year she acted as Derby chair.
Sara: It is a lot of work. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work. We had a committee this year, and each person had different responsibilities. There’s a lot that goes into it. We established rules. Last year we didn’t have a lot in place. We got them all together this year.
T: Like last year, there were great prizes again this year.
Bill: There are fabulous prizes. A lot of cash, paid time off.
Sara: There are big trophies, and bragging rights. The winner gets $1000, the Best in Show prize is for the nicest car, and Bill’s Pick is another $1000 prize. What do you look for?
Bill: I look for the best team spirit, best culture, people who don’t cheat.
T: This year’s Derby offered a timely reward.
Sara: We also have a special prize for 13th place, because today is the Angie’s List 13th anniversary, May 23rd, 1995 to May 23rd, 2008.
T: Unfortunately, the weather this year wasn’t as nice as last year. It was overcast and rained quite a bit for a while, but in spite of the bad weather and singing, a good time was had by all.
Angie’s List employees provided the music and food, and the campus provided the setting for the sloped and slightly curved course. Employee parking spaces served as pits for the 30-plus teams, who had just four hours to assemble what they hoped would be the fastest, most unique cars.
Each team was given time for practice runs before the actual race itself, where they had one opportunity to post their fastest time – or, in some cases, crash.
Friday the 13th-themed “Team Crystal Lake” won the race – perhaps by instilling fear in the other teams.
The Ghostbusters were contractors in a rather unique service industry, and Ghostbusters-themed Team “Slimer’s Revenge” was unique enough to win Best in Show. Luckily for them, this prize didn’t depend at all on speed.
Bill Oesterle’s pick was “One Louder”, which also happened to land in 13th place, rewarding the team with the special Angie’s List birthday prize of lunch with Oesterle at a local eatery.
The prizes were presented to the teams by our special guest, Indycar driver Oriol Servia, who drove the #5 Angie’s List Special in this year’s Indy 500. The 500 rookie started the race in the 25th position but managed to finish the race in the 11th spot. He’ll surely work to win on race day next year, just like Angie’s List employees.
What does your company do for fun and fellowship? Let us know by leaving a comment on our website, Angieslistpodcasts.com. And as always, if you have ideas for future episodes, email ‘em our way to podcast@angieslist.com.
Until next time, this is Tristan. Thanks for taking the time to list-en!
