Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the name Proper Orange come from?

Orange is confident, cheerful, and sociable. It inspires, vitalizes, and stimulates. Orange is optimistic, fun, and willing to take risks. It’s determined. It’s successful. It possesses the energy of creation. That’s the Proper Orange team in a nutshell. Orange is the color of our values and personalities. And we love the fact that you only get orange by mixing two other colors – because our strength comes from combining all of our unique perspectives.

Approximate Position of Proper Orange

Name: Proper Orange

RGB (Hexadecimal): #EB5924

RGB 0÷255: 235, 89, 36

RGB %: 92.2, 34.9, 14.1

CMYK %: 0, 62, 85, 8

HSL: 16°, 83, 53

CIE-Lab: 57, 54.1, 56.9

Where are you located?

Proper Orange’s address is 686 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. Roughly halfway between Harvard and MIT, our office is in one of the oldest buildings in Central Square. It started as a factory where artisans crafted pieces of furniture.

686 Mass Ave in Cambridge

Today it is home to some of the most creative minds in the City of Cambridge: A portrait photographer whose work has been featured on the cover of The Atlantic and an artist whose sculptures have appeared in renowned restaurants, like Cuchi Cuchi in Cambridge are just some of the tenants.

Do you work with people outside of the metro Boston area?

In general, yes. We’re comfortable working with teams around the globe, and are experienced in coordinating workplans both through asychronous project management tools and on various video chat platforms. However, we recognize the value of in-person connections, and prefer to have periodic face-to-face meetings with at least one team member if possible.

Who are your clients?

We value our clients and respects their privacy. So while we can’t “name names,” here are some of the types of personalities and businesses that work with us:

  • Startups and SMBs with 3-75 employees
  • International government agencies
  • Product developers with nationally recognized brands
  • Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winning creatives
  • Top video game developers
  • Research groups from MIT and Harvard

If you have a specific request, rest assured that, with proper confidentiality agreements in place, we can connect you with our clients as needed.

I really like the coffee at your office. Where can I get more of it?

Our coffee is cheerfully provided by Beantrust. Erik is a kind, considerate part of our local community—and his coffee is awesome, too.

I love your office space. Is there any way to rent it?

Our meeting/event space is available to rent on Peerspace. It is fully equipped for meetings, receptions, conferences, workshops, lectures, and other events. Amenities include high-speed wireless internet, projector, white board, large flatscreen monitor/smart TV, color and b/w printing, coffee, tea, communal kitchen, and indoor bike parking.

Who do you work with most frequently? Do you have an ideal customer?

While we work with a wide variety of clients, we’ve found that we make the biggest impact for established small or medium-sized businesses with between 10-100 employees, with lots of growth potential, that are seeking to adapt or expand their thinking. Part of our expertise includes analyzing a business’s current assets to identify growth opportunities, and then helping the business implement them strategically.

What does full stack mean to you?

Beyond its roots as a term for software developers, we subscribe to Chris Dixon’s definition of a full stack company. We develop solutions across the entire value chain, from planning to implementation to ongoing logistical management, using technology to mitigate the complex operational challenges that come with launching and managing an end-to-end business.

For software development, what is your preferred stack?

Above all, we believe in using the best tool for the job, and not letting dogma limit our capacity to provide excellent results in the full complement of web and mobile technologies, from Python to iOS to AngularJS to Google Glass, and just about everything in between. But if given a choice, we prefer Python and Django, the web framework for perfectionists with deadlines.

I provide services to businesses and I like your approach. How can I join the Proper Orange team?

We love meeting smart, talented, like-minded people. Due to our highly collaborative approach, we’re selective in expanding our team. Contact us to start the conversation and see if we’re a good fit for working together.

What happened to all the nice fun facts from the old website?

Here you go

  • Proper Orange is located so close to the last subway car on the Red Line that you can come through our door without getting snow on your boots.
  • A mural of the periodic table of programming languages is on our wall. If you can guess Andreas's favorite programming language prior to entry, you get an espresso.
  • Cold brew coffee from Beantrust is delivered during the season.
  • The Proper Orange office does not contain a foosball table, ping pong table, or any other type of table with balls. The Proper team considers this our workplace.

  • When you visit, you might hear Jeff BuckleyNina Simone, or Tori Amos playing in the office.
  • If it’s a Thursday, you can bet money you’ll find a lot of our team members hanging out on the floor of Venture Café having a glass of wine.
  • Proper Orange does a lot of pro bono stuff – because of the parties!
  • No rock star developers here; nobody wants their hotel room trashed. (Ninjas need not apply either.) We're keeping it real.