When the world shut down due to Covid, Walter Craven found himself crammed at home—a wife painting, children homeschooling at the kitchen table, dog barking—and desperately seeking personal space. From this frustration emerged Kabin, a revolutionary approach to workplace privacy that's challenging everything we thought we knew about pod spaces.

Unlike traditional backward-facing boxes that isolate workers, Kabin positions users facing outward in what Walter describes as a "throne-like position" that provides privacy while maintaining connection to the surrounding environment. The faceted walls aren't just aesthetically striking—they serve dual acoustic purposes, directing sound back to the user's ears while preventing reverberation in open offices. 

Walter has created not just a product but an experience, complete with ambient soundscapes ranging from café chatter to rainfall that transform how users feel in their space.

Walter's journey from the cardboard prototype built during lockdown to successful product embodies entrepreneurial resilience. When early feedback indicated his production design would be too expensive and too complex to assemble, he secretly developed an alternative approach that saved the business. 

This tenacity reflects his upbringing—the son of Boston ironworkers who maintained their small business for 52 years—and his own life journey from "living to work" in San Francisco to "working to live" after moving his family to London. 

They’re now expanding into the US market following up on their successes in the UK.

Curious about experiencing Kabin firsthand? Reach out to Walter directly through the contact information in our show notes and discover how rethinking workplace privacy could transform your office environment.

In this episode: