A workspace inspired by the art of the impossible

Firstborn is located in a landmarked building in the heart of New York City's Tribeca. My own space faces our open office layout and is backdropped by a big window looking into the Tribeca Grand Hotel. It's a far cry from our humble beginnings in Hell's Kitchen when I landed my first job here as a Flash developer in 2003.

I consider myself fortunate to be inspired daily, by my wife and almost-two-year-old son, Eli, by the talented people at Firstborn, and the things we get to create.

Scattered around my office are bits and pieces of my life. Over my desk hangs a newspaper clipping from the 1940s (1) featuring Frank's Bar and Grill, a neighbourhood restaurant in Bridgeport, CT, owned by my grandfather, that tells of success from 'Good Fellowship, Foods and Drinks'.

You'll also see the King of Hearts, the 'Suicide King' – my favourite card (2). I always carry a deck of cards. I've studied close-up magic since I was a kid. It's a powerful card and the only one of its kind in a deck. It was a gift from my sister, Lucia. Nearby sits a deck of cards inside a jar (3). I'm fascinated by the art of the impossible. It plays so much into what we do at Firstborn. And I love impossible objects.

These include the framed shot of a 'link sculpture' (4) created by Dalton Ghetti, one of my favourite artists, who carves impossibly complex sculptures out of pencils.

On my window (not pictured) sits Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I bought 40 copies and threw them on my office floor for the taking. Everyone should read this book.

Finally, a little collection (5). A mini bottle of Maker's Mark (every Firstborner gets one at the end of their first week), a candle from the night my wife and I got engaged, and a photo of [Firstborn execs] Michael, Joon and me on a fishing trip we took to celebrate joining our parent company, Dentsu.

This article originally appeared in net magazine issue 255.