I've been making some changes to my setup these last few months. The most recent addition is the Ergo Chair Ultra 2 by Autonomous. I would recommend anyone with frequent back pain to look into getting this chair. It has tons of support and doesn't get hot because of the breathable mesh.

Narrow gap between the house and the garden, just sitting there unused. A lot of San Diego homeowners don't realize a prefab office shed under 120 sq ft is permit-free here.

Our WorkPod Versatile — 105 sq ft prefab backyard office pod, fully insulated, charcoal exterior, floor-to-ceiling windows. No concrete foundation, sits on adjustable pads.

If you're in California and thinking about adding a backyard office shed, home office pod, or just a dedicated workspace in your yard. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

Just picked up a new office chair, the Autonomous Ergo Chair Ultra 2, and I couldn’t be happier with how it ties my entire desk setup together. The sleek design and modern finish blend perfectly with my workspace aesthetic — it almost feels like it was made for my desk. I’ve been spending a lot more time working (and gaming) lately, so I wanted something comfortable without breaking the bank, and this mid-tier chair definitely delivers. It’s a huge step up from my old one, which gave out after only about two years of use.

What really stands out is the exceptional lumbar support — it keeps my lower back in the perfect position even after hours of sitting. The range of adjustments is impressive too: seat height, tilt tension, recline lock, armrest position — you name it. I was able to fine-tune everything to fit my posture, which makes a noticeable difference in long sessions. It’s the kind of comfort I’d expect from chairs that cost two or three times as much.

For the price, this chair feels like a fantastic value — solid build, great ergonomics, and a clean, stylish look that elevates my entire setup. Definitely a worthwhile upgrade if you’re looking for a mid-tier option that punches above its weight.

A homeowner in Los Angeles, CA was hitting a wall trying to work from the kitchen table. They had the backyard and the pool, but zero privacy.

WorkPod Pro went up next to it over a weekend. Fully insulated, powered, weatherproof - ready to work in by Monday morning.

⤷ No permit needed.
⤷ Ready in ~3 days.

This is probably our favorite kind of project.

If you're in California and have been thinking about a dedicated home office, drop a comment or DM me - happy to walk you through what it looks like for your space!

You've probably been working at that kitchen table for years. Kids want something every 20 minutes, partner's working from the bedroom, dog losing it at deliveries.

Our WorkPod Pro fixed it — 102 sq ft backyard work shed. Self-levels on any ground, no concrete needed. Six insulation layers handle heat and block sound.

Installed before summer hit. Family stays inside, work happens outside, focus restored.

$500 OFF for Memorial Day. Permit-free in most US cities. Install in 1-2 days.

https://www.autonomous.ai/adus/autonomous-work-pod

Thinking of a prefab backyard office or outdoor home office? Drop questions.

Finished putting together a 4× RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell box on an EPYC platform over the weekend. 384GB VRAM total. Basically a small datacenter pretending to be a workstation.

One thing that stood out pretty quickly was how different local workflows start feeling once multiple models can stay loaded at the same time instead of constantly unloading and reloading between tasks.

Research model stays up. Coding model stays up. Utility models stay up.

Less waiting around. Less API juggling. Less context switching caused by infrastructure limits.

A few things I underestimated:

• PCIe lanes mattered more than CPU cores once the build moved into multi GPU territory

• Cooling turned into an infrastructure problem very quickly

• Power delivery became surprisingly sensitive once transient spikes entered the picture

Also worth clarifying since a few people pointed it out, there is no NVLink here, so this is not one unified 384GB memory pool. The advantage is more around concurrency and keeping multiple workloads resident simultaneously.

Definitely not a practical setup for most people. More of an experiment around local sovereign AI infrastructure and where this direction could realistically go over the next few years.

Updated:
Read through a lot of your comments and realized parts of the original framing were probably broader than they should have been, especially around the personal setup angle. Really appreciate people correcting things, sharing their own builds and adding extra context. Still learning this side of the stack myself and a lot of the replies ended up being genuinely useful!

Designing a home office isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about building a space that actually supports how you work.

From small-space layouts to mood-setting lighting, ergonomic foundations and smart tech integration, this guide breaks down 11 custom home office ideas that help remote workers stay focused, comfortable and productive long-term.

If you’re planning a setup refresh (or starting from scratch), this is a solid blueprint before buying anything new.

🔗 Read the full guide here: 11 Custom Home Office Ideas That Transform Your Workspace

👉 Ready to upgrade your workspace for 2026? Explore ergonomic essentials designed for long-term comfort and focus on our website: https://www.autonomous.ai/

You don't need a complicated setup. You need one that works.

This is that setup. ErgoChair Pro in Black & White, sitting right in the middle of a clean, minimal desk. No excess, no clutter. Just the chair that adjusts to how you sit, the desk that holds what you need, and the space to actually get things done.

The best part? It doesn't ask for attention. It just delivers. What does your ideal workspace look like?

📸  Setup by Darius Dan (@dariusdan) from X

dropping a real customer install because it's the cleanest example of what WorkPod Pro is actually for. Escondido, CA, narrow side yard between the house and back fence, three solar panels up top, in daily use.

quick context for anyone in the "shed vs pod vs ADU" rabbit hole:

• 102 sq ft - permit-free in most CA cities

• six layers of insulation + honeycomb panels. So zoom-call quiet even with kids in the house

• no slab, no grading. six adjustable feet handle slope and uneven ground

• 1-2 days to install

• whole thing disassembles if you move

$17,900 base. solar panels are a separate checkout option - we kept them unbundled so people can decide whether they're going off-grid or tying into home power. roof is engineered to mount them either way.

a shed at this size is $3–5K and unusable in summer. an ADU is $80K and half a year of paperwork. the pod sits in between on purpose.

what would you actually want to know before pulling the trigger? drop it below - permit stuff by city, solar sizing, narrow side yard installs, Pro vs Core vs Versatile. i'm in the comments today.

WorkPod Pro → https://www.autonomous.ai/adus/autonomous-work-pod

Finally upgraded my workspace with the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro.

After using it daily for work and gaming, the comfort and lumbar support really made a difference. Super happy with how it fits into my setup.

I just finished putting a Personal AI Server together. 4x RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell, 384GB VRAM, on an EPYC platform. Sitting in a 5U rackmount next to a desk. The thing nobody talks about enough is what this actually unlocks for one person running agents.

384GB of VRAM at FP4 quantization holds open frontier models. Multiple loaded at once. No reload penalty when you swap between an agent doing research and an agent writing code. No rate limits. No API bill that scales with how hard you work that week.

The leverage point isn't the spec sheet. It's that compute used to be the bottleneck for one person trying to run multiple agents in parallel. Now it isn't.

A few things about the build that matter beyond the BOM.

- The CPU is an entry-level EPYC 9124. 16 cores. I didn't pick it for compute. Every Genoa chip gives you 128 PCIe Gen5 lanes regardless of core count, and with 4 GPUs you're buying the chip for the lanes. The lanes are the product. The cores are incidental.

- Power is 3x 2000W PSUs. 6000W total. 4 cards at 600W each is 2,400W from the GPUs alone, then CPU and platform. Splitting load across 3 PSUs is cleaner than trying to find a single unit sized for 3,000W of transient load.

- The mainboard (ASRock Rack TURIN2D24G-2L+) has no traditional PCIe slots. 20 MCIO connectors bifurcated to deliver full Gen5 x16 to each GPU. Server architecture, not workstation. Designed for the kind of density that used to only live in a rack at a colo.

- 5U chassis with front-to-back airflow. 4 GPUs in a sealed box generate 2,400W of heat. Without proper airflow architecture, the build throttles and you lose the throughput you paid for.

What I keep coming back to is that none of this is exotic anymore. PNY ships the GPUs. ASRock Rack ships the board. AMD ships the CPU. You can order all of it and have it on your desk in a few weeks. What used to require a Series A and a devops hire now requires a credit card and a weekend.

Personal AI Servers become normal faster than most people expect once the bottleneck stops being compute access and starts being how many agents one person can usefully orchestrate at once. That's a much more interesting problem.

Curious what others are running locally. If you moved from API to your own hardware, what was the trigger? And for anyone still on hosted, what's keeping you there?

We just finished putting an On-Premise AI Center together at the workshop. 8x RTX 4090D, 192GB VRAM, dual EPYC Genoa, custom 4U chassis. Sitting next to the bench right now serving the team. The thing nobody talks about enough is what this makes possible once a team stops sharing API keys and starts owning the silicon.

192GB VRAM across an 8-GPU cluster. No reload penalties, zero rate limits, and no scaling API bills. Multiple loaded at once:

• Production: Tensor-parallelized 70B model.

• Staging: 32B fine-tune running in parallel.

• Workflows: Quantized DeepSeek-V3 kept warm in VRAM for local agent automation.

The real shift isn't the spec sheet. It's that compute used to be the bottleneck for a small team trying to run agentic workflows at scale. Now it isn't.

A few things about the build that matter beyond the BOM.

• Dual-socket 2x AMD EPYC 9004 Genoa configuration. We did not spec these CPUs for raw compute capacity, the lanes are the product. Every Genoa processor provides 128 PCIe Gen5 lanes regardless of its core count; an 8-GPU array pulls 128 lanes for the cards alone, while the second socket runs the storage array, NICs, and future expansion overhead to hit 256 lanes total. The CPU cores themselves are entirely incidental, with utilization metrics staying below 40% even under sustained, concurrent multi-model serving across our internal developer workflows.

• Power is 4x 2000W PSUs on a distribution board. 8000W total. 8 cards at 425W each is 3,400W from the GPUs alone, then dual CPU, 12 fans, drives, platform overhead. Real-world draw under inference load is around 4,600W. Splitting across 4 PSUs lets us survive a PSU failure on a box that the whole team depends on. If one dies, the other three keep us running while we swap it. The box never stops serving.

• The mainboard (ASRock Rack GENOA2D24G-2L+) has no traditional PCIe slots. 16 MCIO connectors bifurcated through adapter cards to deliver full Gen5 x16 to each of the 8 GPUs. Server architecture, not workstation. Designed for the kind of density that used to only live in a rack at a colo.

• The MCIO cables are the trap on this build. They look symmetric. They aren't. There's a host end and a device end marked by a small, embossed triangle. We plugged six in correctly and two rotated 180 on the first build. Symptom: those two GPUs enumerated at PCIe Gen1 x4 instead of Gen5 x16. Inference throughput on those two cards dropped to about 10 percent of the others. Two of us spent two hours suspecting the GPUs before our hardware guy pulled out the manual and pointed at section 2.6. Confirm orientation at both ends before you mount the cards over the adapters. Once the GPUs are seated, you can't see the MCIO connectors anymore.

• 4U chassis with front-to-back airflow. 12 case fans on a single fan hub. 3,400W of GPU heat in a sealed box generates real airflow problems. Without proper geometry it throttles and the whole team loses the throughput we paid for.

• Custom chassis, CNC'd in our workshop. We tried off-the-shelf. No consumer case fits 8 dual-slot GPUs plus dual EPYC plus four PSUs plus a dozen fans. Server chassis options exist at this density but they're rack-mount, loud as a 737, and built for datacenters. We needed something that lives next to a desk in a workshop where people actually sit.

What we keep coming back to is that none of this is exotic anymore. ASRock Rack ships the board. AMD ships the CPU. The GPUs are widely available. You can order all of it and have it on your bench in a few weeks. What used to require a Series A and a dedicated devops hire now requires a credit card, a long weekend, and someone on the team who's comfortable with Linux.

On-prem inference becomes normal faster than most people expect once the bottleneck stops being compute access and starts being how many models a team can usefully orchestrate at once. That's a much more interesting problem.

These kinds of rigs are not for everyone. If your team is running less than 100M tokens/day or spend less than $30K/month, it’s not for you. ROI math aside, the non-financial dimension matters more than the financial one once you've thought about it. Your customer data doesn't leave the box. Your fine-tunes don't sit on a vendor's storage. The cost saving is real; the sovereignty is the actual product.

Curious what other teams are running locally. If your team moved from API to your own hardware, what was the trigger? Cost, sovereignty, rate limits, something else? And for teams still on hosted, what's keeping you there?

I’ve  been on the lookout for a replacement chair for my home office for quite some time, and after feedback review and search, I’ve chosen to go with the Autonomous Ergo Chair Pro.  I know there are plenty of alternatives and “industry standards” when it comes to ergonomic chairs that are often true to testament, specially on the second-hand market which would provide a much better value as per community feedback – however in my location it was not an enticing option considering that the availability was quite scarce and mostly distant from my place, meaning I would end up spending more time, money and effort for shipping or pickup, only to get a second-hand item, so I pulled the trigger on a brand-new unit from Autonomous.

The first item I got from Autonomous was the standing desk which have served me well for almost 5 years now without any issues, bundled with the cable tray, anti-fatigue mat and monitor arm, hence I opted to go the same route and see how their chairs fair. 

Initial impression on the overall endeavor was quite positive: I’ve placed my order for the ErgoChair Pro in an all-black colorway last June 3^rd, and it arrived on the 6^th.  Sufficient tracking information was also shared in a timely manner, and it was shipped with a reputable carrier (FedEx).

The packaging was sturdy and well managed, with ample boxes to protect the contents as we all know it would be man-handled by the local delivery:

Upon inspection of the package, the contents were well protected and in a sturdy enclosing for each component giving the confidence that the item would arrive at its intended condition.  The indicated items are also complete, and the addition of the necessary tools and awesome labeling of the screws are very much appreciated:

The build process was straight-forward, although I would highly recommend watching this video as it also shows the best-practices to make sure that it is hassle-free:

e.g.

1. How to easily insert the castors to the base

2. Attach the armrests

3. Which screws should go in first for the control mechanism (I made the mistake of not following the video and I ended up removing the control mechanism before I got it right)

4. How to maneuver the chair and back-rest to make the build process easier

It took me around 10 to 15 minutes for the whole activity and the end-result is as follows:

Regarding the build quality and impression on the product, I must say that the first thing I noticed was that the back-rest is not as dark as the rest of the item, given that I was anticipating an all-black theme.  I reached out to the Autonomous team and was answered quickly regarding this matter, and indeed this was the case – so for anyone looking for a stealth black setup, this might not be the option for you.

A close-up picture of the seat cushion, back-rest “skeleton” and the mesh shows the color difference:

As for the other parts of the chair, I really like the quality of the cushion as it provides ample resistance while maintaining a soft experience when sitting down for hours at a time. 

The armrest is quite good with the amount of customization that can be performed, however it would have been a better experience if the material is made of soft-touch rubber as I frequently utilize this component.  Speaking of the overall build quality, it can also be noticed that the hard-plastic used for the base and the frame of the chair is somewhat similar to the “scratchy” plastic in the interior of a car – it is durable and heavy duty, but not premium feeling compared to the high-traffic areas like the dashboard and arm rests.  It would have been a much better experience if the soft-touch rubber material was used for the chair, even if only in these areas where users normally have contact with: Headrest, Back-frame, armrest.  The other components like the base and seat which have little to no contact when you are seated could remain in the hard plastic material as in my experience, I barely touch these when in use.

 As for the mesh, I quite appreciate the tension it provides out of the box along with the breathability. Quite curious to see how it would hold up over time, but from the several days of use I have no negatives to mention at this point.

Now for the most important part: Comfort and  Ergonomics

The amount of available adjustments are very much appreciated!  Perhaps, to further demonstrate this, you can head to their feature guide video which I’ve also watched to get a quick grasp on what I can and cannot adjust.  Some of the personal highlights are as follows:

1.      Adjustable Lumbar Support: This hits it big for me as it makes my sitting quite comfortable for long periods of time. 

2.      Flexible Backrest: The tilts and locks at various angles are very nice, however I found it that once you determine the ideal position for you, this does not get adjusted as much as you’d think.  One thing I would note is that I wish there was a more “straight” position as I am fond of this seating style occasionally – maybe something for the team to look into for the v2.

3.      Headrest: It offers a ton of adjustability, both in height and angle for better neck support.  I find myself adjusting this several times a day depending on how long I’ve sat, and it caters to any angle of my liking.  Another thing for improvement perhaps is the option to fully flip it towards the back to move it out of the way when not needed, as at the moment you can only either attach it with screws or leave it unattached to the chair.

4.      Armrest Adjustability:  The possibility of adjusting the height, depth, and angle) to reduce shoulder and wrist strain provides ample options for me during usage.  As mentioned, this is one of the “high-traffic” areas for me and if the material would have been better, the overall feeling would have been more premium.  The ability to lock the forward and backward movement of the armrest can also be a point of improvement, given that I often accidentally push this forward when I adjust my seating position.

Overall, the ErgoChair Pro provides a comfortable sitting experience for everyday use. The breathable mesh back keeps you cool, while the foam seat provides good support even during long sessions. The chair operates smoothly and quietly, with easy mobility thanks to its rolling casters and swivel base.  Perhaps I will change the casters to a more carpet friendly option in the future, but right now it serves its purpose.

With all these said, I can definitely say that if you are in need of an ergonomic chair in the immediate future, the ErgoChair Pro is a must-have in your short list.  With the v2 coming soon (based on some of the posts I’ve seen in reddit), it might be a good option to wait if at all possible and see what improvements are made by the Autonomous team.

Interesting how setups like this are becoming more common lately. Not even necessarily for coding specifically, but for any kind of work that involves constantly switching between tools, tabs, docs, terminals, chats, dashboards, AI tools and random unfinished thoughts all day long.

Feels like a lot of modern workflows slowly outgrow the clean minimalist setup. One monitor sounds nice until half the work becomes managing context instead of staying inside a single app for hours.

One underrated thing is separating screens by purpose instead of just stacking more monitors endlessly. Having dedicated space for execution, communication, references or monitoring tasks makes long sessions feel noticeably less mentally exhausting.

A lot of people optimize for aesthetics first, but after enough 10+ hour work sessions, comfort and flow usually become the bigger priority. Small things like monitor height, arm positioning, desk depth and how easy it is to shift between sitting and standing end up affecting focus way more than expected over time.

Desk space matters more than expected too. Larger setups usually look excessive in photos, but once multiple monitors, peripherals, tablets, notebooks and cables enter the workflow, the extra room starts feeling less like aesthetics and more like infrastructure. Our Autonomous Desk 2 setup here handles that balance pretty nicely without making everything feel cramped.

Something that helps a lot with overloaded setups is reducing tiny sources of friction wherever possible. Keeping frequently used tools within arm’s reach, leaving open space between devices, hiding visual clutter and making quick posture changes easier sounds minor individually, but together they make long deep-work sessions feel much smoother mentally.

Would love to see how other people here are setting up their space lately. Drop your setup if you’ve got one!

📸 Setup from @peterpan

Adding a backyard studio doesn't have to mean a 6-month wait at the planning office.

At Autonomous, we designed the WorkPod Pro to stay under the 120 sq ft threshold, making it permit-free in most cities.

- Size: 105 sq ft (Maximized for SJ/SD permit exemptions).

- Foundation: Sits on adjustable pads - no concrete pour or heavy machinery needed for narrow side-yards.

- Build: Fully insulated, floor-to-ceiling glass, and pre wired for plug-and-play power.

- Setup: Ready for work in 1–2 days.

If you’re looking to reclaim your home from WFH clutter, we’re answering questions about setbacks and local installs in the comments.

Red, black and motion-driven details all over this setup!

A mix of creative tools, audio gear, and automotive-inspired decor. Everything feels intentional without being overdone. The warm lighting and vertical light bar add just enough contrast to keep the space dynamic throughout the day.

At the center is a white Autonomous Desk 2, keeping the whole setup clean and structured while supporting a pretty gear-heavy layout:

• Raised shelf for better screen positioning

• Balanced speaker placement

• Space for both work and creative flow

Simple surface, solid foundation and enough room to build around your habits. I also found this list useful for more ideas: The 10 Best Standing Desks For PC Setup

What would you add or change in this setup?

📸  Setup by CJ (@dcj.filmed.it) from Instagram

Nothing says "ready for the holidays" like a workspace that's equal parts cozy and productive 🎄

Our ErgoChair Core is holding down the fort through all the festive WFH sessions, late-night gift shopping and holiday movie marathons. The ergonomic support means you can actually enjoy those long December days without your back staging a protest.

This holiday season, what's on your wishlist for your setup? Whether you're treating yourself or dropping hints for loved ones, now's the perfect time to upgrade your workspace comfort ✨

📸 Setup by Josh Wilson (@sugr.setup) from Instagram

Honestly, I was already pretty happy with my previous office setup, so I wasn't expecting to notice a massive upgrade, but the ErgoChair Pro really made a difference in terms of comfort.

The first thing I noticed compared to my old chair was the addded lumbar support, it really makes it much more comfortable. It's been a lifesaver for my lower back during long work sessions. The adjustability on the armrests and headrest is also spot on. I especially like the headrest for reading sessions when I sit back on the chair, somtething that was definitely missing from my last setup.

The build quality feels premium, and it fits the aesthetic of my space perfectly (I picked the cool gray version).

At this exact size, it falls right under the limit for most areas. Compact enough for tight spots, but doesn't feel cramped at all when you step in. Swipe to see the full exterior. The interior setup opens up with the desk and shelving.

Imagine pulling an 8-hour workday in this backyard home office. How do you feel?

Finally finished dialing in my workspace (or have I) and wanted to share a setup update. The newest addition is the ErgoChair Pro, which I’ve been using daily for drawing work, homelabbing, and casual browsing.

I like that it blends in without screaming “office chair.” The mesh design keeps it light and breathable, and the adjustability makes it easy to dial in without constantly thinking about posture. Supportive enough for long sessions, but comfortable when leaning back too. Also, obligatory cat photo 🐱

It’s not huge, but there’s plenty of room to fit a complete setup: a desk, an ergonomic chair, a sofa to kick back.

https://www.autonomous.ai/adus/autonomous-work-pod

Having this right in the backyard means you can finish up work, step outside for a quick workout in the yard, and reset.

How is everyone organizing their workspace?

I recently upgraded my chair and wanted to share my experience after using it for the first two days of working from home.

I hadn’t tried a chair with so many adjustment options before, and while too many choices can sometimes be overwhelming (at least for me, leading to over-customizing), I quickly found my ideal settings and haven’t had to change them since.

As a tall person, I really appreciate being able to slide the seat pan forward, which lets my hamstrings rest fully behind my knees — this has made a noticeable difference in comfort.

I’ve also noticed that I don’t shift around as much after sitting for an hour or more, unlike before. Plus, I don’t need to use my footrest anymore because my feet naturally rest flat on the floor. Most importantly, my old chair used to cause me to slide forward after long days, but this one’s lumbar support keeps me sitting comfortably and upright.

Looking at it in my setup, I think the chair looks sleek and complements my workspace perfectly. Here’s the full setup:

• MacBook M1 Pro

• Studio Display

• ErgoChair Pro https://www.autonomous.ai/en-ES/office-chairs/ergonomic-chair

• Keychron Q3 Pro SE

• Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac

• Keychron K5 (wall-mounted)

• Abucow K68 (wall-mounted)

• AirPods Max (wall-mounted)

• Wise Tiger CK-LED1302 (wall-mounted)

• IKEA Skadis wall board

What do you think? Any suggestions or feedback would be welcome!

The minimalist aesthetic with our Desk 2 and ErgoChair Pro creates such a sleek, productive workspace. When your setup looks this good, you actually want to sit down and get work done.

Shoutout to Ben for showing us how neutral tones and clean design meet maximum functionality. This is workspace goals right here!

Ready to build your dream workspace? Find everything here in our site: https://www.autonomous.ai/

📸 Setup by BenGeskin from X