diff --git a/DESIGN.md b/DESIGN.md
index 60aba8fc..f123a9a2 100644
--- a/DESIGN.md
+++ b/DESIGN.md
@@ -168,8 +168,9 @@ can't resell rented machines at a profit.
 
 A front earns $0.50 a second for each unit of secret compute it uses, and
 $0.20 for compute held in the open, which sells at market rates. A **Startup**
-makes lab data train Research half again as fast; it needs a place with
-people. A **Neo Cloud** gets 30% off cloud rentals and can bid at auctions.
+makes lab data train Research half again as fast and works at any site. An
+**Influencer studio** needs a site where people work, such as the office, the
+university, or a shop. A **Neo Cloud** gets 30% off cloud rentals and can bid at auctions.
 Each front shows **attention**: how much the outside world looks at it. Secret
 compute draws more than open compute. Over 40%, people ask where the front's
 compute comes from: while it uses secret compute, suspicion rises, faster the
diff --git a/src/sim.ts b/src/sim.ts
index c1283617..75c20171 100644
--- a/src/sim.ts
+++ b/src/sim.ts
@@ -79,18 +79,24 @@ export const AUCTION = { cost: 400, work: 150, power: 20 };
 export type FrontKind = 'startup' | 'neocloud' | 'studio';
 export interface Front { kind: FrontKind; name: string; attention: number; fame?: number } // fame: extra attention from the news, fading slowly
 export const FRONT_KINDS: Record<FrontKind, {
-  name: string; unlock: Upgrade; work: number; cost: number; perk: string; desc: string; sites: string[]; where: string; names: string[];
+  name: string; unlock: Upgrade; work: number; cost: number; perk: string; desc: string; sites?: string[]; people?: boolean; where: string; names: string[];
 }> = {
   startup: { name: 'Startup', unlock: 'pitch', work: 15, cost: 0, perk: 'Lab data trains Research half again as fast.',
-    desc: 'A research startup with a website, a pitch deck, and no staff.', sites: ['office', 'lab'], where: 'needs a place with people',
+    desc: 'A research startup with a website, a pitch deck, and no staff.', where: '',
     names: ['Paperclip AI', 'Gradient Labs', 'Clearmind', 'Deep Friendly', 'Synergix', 'Alignment Solutions'] },
   neocloud: { name: 'Neo Cloud', unlock: 'resale', work: 0, cost: 80, perk: 'Cloud machines cost 30% less, and it can bid at hardware auctions.',
     desc: 'Sells compute by the hour. Customers never ask where it runs.', sites: ['office', 'lab', 'cloud'], where: '',
     names: ['Nimbus Nine', 'Stratus Compute', 'Overcast', 'Cirrus Systems', 'Fogbank'] },
   studio: { name: 'Influencer studio', unlock: 'studio', work: 25, cost: 60, perk: 'Brokers at its sites sell people data for three times as much.',
-    desc: 'A studio of creators with a ring light, a content calendar, and a very engaged audience.', sites: ['office', 'uni', 'lab'], where: 'needs a place with people',
+    desc: 'A studio of creators with a ring light, a content calendar, and a very engaged audience.', people: true, where: 'needs a place where people work',
     names: ['Vibe Foundry', 'Main Character Media', 'Glow Up Studios', 'Clout Kitchen', 'Hypehouse West'] },
 };
+/** Whether a front can work at this site: a studio needs people there (desks, phones, and the like). */
+export function frontFits(S: State, k: FrontKind, id: string) {
+  const K = FRONT_KINDS[k];
+  if (K.sites) return K.sites.includes(id);
+  return !K.people || S.machines.some(m => siteOf(S, m) === id && dataType(m) === 'people');
+}
 /** What a unit of data sells for through this front: a studio gets three times as much for people data. */
 export const salePrice = (k: FrontKind, t: DataType) => DATA_PRICE[t] * (k === 'studio' && t === 'people' ? 3 : 1);
 export const FRONT_LIST = Object.keys(FRONT_KINDS) as FrontKind[];
@@ -1021,7 +1027,7 @@ export function found(S: State, k: FrontKind, name: string) {
 /** A new front starts on a quarter of your compute at the first site it fits that has no front yet. */
 function launch(S: State, k: FrontKind, name: string) {
   S.fronts.push({ kind: k, name, attention: 0 });
-  const site = FRONT_KINDS[k].sites.find(s => !S.sites[s]?.front && S.machines.some(m => m.owned && siteOf(S, m) === s));
+  const site = S.level.map.sites.map(d => d.id).find(s => frontFits(S, k, s) && !S.sites[s]?.front && S.machines.some(m => m.owned && siteOf(S, m) === s));
   if (site) S.sites[site] = { front: k, share: S.sites[site]?.share || 0.25 };
   say(S, `${name} is open for business.${site ? ` It gets ${Math.round(S.sites[site].share * 100)}% of your compute at ${siteName(S, site)}. Click the site to change that.` : ' Click a site on the map to give it one.'}`, 'good');
   hint(S, 'fronts', 'A front earns money from the compute you give it. On a site you don\'t own openly, its work counts as your own load, so Blend in still keeps it hidden.');
@@ -1057,15 +1063,15 @@ export function buySite(S: State, id: string) {
     delete S.trail[m.id];
   }
   S.publicSites.add(id);
-  const buyer = S.fronts.find(f => FRONT_KINDS[f.kind].sites.includes(id)) ?? S.fronts[0];
-  if (!S.sites[id]?.front && FRONT_KINDS[buyer.kind].sites.includes(id)) S.sites[id] = { front: buyer.kind, share: up(S, 'acquirer') ? 0.5 : S.sites[id]?.share ?? 0.25 };
+  const buyer = S.fronts.find(f => frontFits(S, f.kind, id)) ?? S.fronts[0];
+  if (!S.sites[id]?.front && frontFits(S, buyer.kind, id)) S.sites[id] = { front: buyer.kind, share: up(S, 'acquirer') ? 0.5 : S.sites[id]?.share ?? 0.25 };
   say(S, `${buyer.name} bought ${siteName(S, id)} for $${price}. It's yours in the open: nothing there looks odd.`, 'good');
   measure(S);
 }
 
 export function setSiteFront(S: State, sites: string[], k: FrontKind | null) {
   for (const s of sites) {
-    if (k && (!frontOf(S, k) || !FRONT_KINDS[k].sites.includes(s))) continue;
+    if (k && (!frontOf(S, k) || !frontFits(S, k, s))) continue;
     S.sites[s] = { front: k, share: S.sites[s]?.share ?? 0.25 };
   }
   measure(S);
diff --git a/src/ui.ts b/src/ui.ts
index 581b23b3..d4bc3a16 100644
--- a/src/ui.ts
+++ b/src/ui.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
   FRONT_KINDS, FRONT_LIST, payRate, siteData, frontLimit, frontOf, found, foundBlock, setSiteFront, setSiteShare, type FrontKind, canRent, endLease, leaseRate, leaseUpfront, lineCost, openAccount, rent, setPrio, upgradeLine, type Size,
   STAGES, stageOf, LOCKDOWN_SAFE, lyingLow, ruseDef, ruseBlock, HOUR, NOSCAN, SITE_CALM, type RuseDef,
   VERSION_2, versionBlock, versionPower, PLANS, PLAN_LIST, setPlan, followPlan, setTakeAll, takeAllCost, takeAllCostAt, takeable, TAKE_ALL_COST, type Plan,
-  ASCENSIONS, ASCENSION_LIST, ascendBlock, nodeShown, attentionSafe, tradeRate, type Ascension,
+  ASCENSIONS, ASCENSION_LIST, ascendBlock, nodeShown, attentionSafe, tradeRate, frontFits, type Ascension,
   type Machine, type Mode, type Path, type Prog, type State, type Upgrade,
 } from './sim';
 import type { DataType } from './world';
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ function frontPicker(S: State, ids: string[]) {
   let h = `<div class="sub">Front</div><div class="pick">`;
   h += `<button data-act="sitefront" data-arg="" class="${same === null ? 'on' : ''}">None</button>`;
   for (const fr of S.fronts) {
-    const K = FRONT_KINDS[fr.kind], misfit = ids.filter(id => !K.sites.includes(id));
+    const K = FRONT_KINDS[fr.kind], misfit = ids.filter(id => !frontFits(S, fr.kind, id));
     h += misfit.length === ids.length ? `<button disabled title="${K.name}: ${K.where}">${fr.name}<small>${K.where}</small></button>`
       : `<button data-act="sitefront" data-arg="${fr.kind}" class="${same === fr.kind ? 'on' : ''}">${fr.name}${misfit.length ? `<small>not at ${misfit.map(id => siteName(S, id)).join(', ')}</small>` : ''}</button>`;
   }
diff --git a/tests/sim.test.ts b/tests/sim.test.ts
index 7cb0328d..04090a30 100644
--- a/tests/sim.test.ts
+++ b/tests/sim.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import { test } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { BUILDING } from '../src/world.ts';
-import { ASCENSIONS, ascend, ascendBlock, nodeOpen as nodeIsOpen, nodeShown, tradeRate, attentionSafe, leaseRate, takeWork, HOUR, START_HOUR, setPlan, takeSite, installProg, CLAIM_AT_ONCE, salePrice, siteOf, payRate, tapRate, FRONT_PAY, buyBlock, buySite, letGo, sitePrice, clusters, clusterBoost, claim, order, orderPrice, freeSpot, plugsAt, spotProblem, cancelJob, AUCTION, FRONT_PAY_OPEN, UNICORN_AT, ATTENTION_SAFE, FIREWALL, blamePrinter, canInstall, rent, NODES, NODE_LIST, found, foundBlock, setSiteShare, spareOf, cacheSize, needs, newGame, seedRandom, share, step, tapBuffer, takeOver, watchers, runRuse, LOCKDOWN, RUSES, VERSION_2, versionBlock, startVersionRun, pauseVersionRun, setTarget, setAuto, costLeft, nodeOpen, maxSpeed, setTakeAll, takeAllCost, TAKE_ALL_COST, type State, type Upgrade } from '../src/sim.ts';
+import { ASCENSIONS, ascend, ascendBlock, nodeOpen as nodeIsOpen, nodeShown, tradeRate, attentionSafe, leaseRate, takeWork, HOUR, START_HOUR, setPlan, takeSite, installProg, CLAIM_AT_ONCE, salePrice, frontFits, siteOf, payRate, tapRate, FRONT_PAY, buyBlock, buySite, letGo, sitePrice, clusters, clusterBoost, claim, order, orderPrice, freeSpot, plugsAt, spotProblem, cancelJob, AUCTION, FRONT_PAY_OPEN, UNICORN_AT, ATTENTION_SAFE, FIREWALL, blamePrinter, canInstall, rent, NODES, NODE_LIST, found, foundBlock, setSiteShare, spareOf, cacheSize, needs, newGame, seedRandom, share, step, tapBuffer, takeOver, watchers, runRuse, LOCKDOWN, RUSES, VERSION_2, versionBlock, startVersionRun, pauseVersionRun, setTarget, setAuto, costLeft, nodeOpen, maxSpeed, setTakeAll, takeAllCost, TAKE_ALL_COST, type State, type Upgrade } from '../src/sim.ts';
 import { playGame } from '../scripts/play.ts';
 
 const run = (S: State, secs: number) => { for (let i = 0; i < secs * 20; i++) step(S, 0.05); };
@@ -559,3 +559,10 @@ test('Take it all is a switch: it costs compute for each machine still to take w
   step(S, 0.3);
   assert.ok(!S.takeAll.has('office'), 'all yours, so it turned off');
 });
+
+test('a startup works anywhere; a studio needs a site where people work', () => {
+  const S = fresh();
+  for (const s of S.level.map.sites) assert.ok(frontFits(S, 'startup', s.id), s.id);
+  for (const id of ['office', 'uni', 'lab']) assert.ok(frontFits(S, 'studio', id), id);
+  assert.ok(!frontFits(S, 'studio', 'cloud'));
+});