
Coworking Spaces - mgrouchy
http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/09/coworking-spaces.html
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jeremymims
He unfortunately forgot New Work City (<http://nwc.co>) which just expanded
into a big beautiful space on Broadway in New York City and opened up
yesterday. Having started work there, I can say it's a phenomenal bunch of
mostly tech related people.

Tony Bacigalupo, who founded the space, is an amazing an integral part of the
New York startup scene. He also wrote a book about coworking:
<http://amzn.to/25y8UQ>

As for coding, there are a lot of people there who do it and there are areas
set aside for breakout rooms, conference rooms, and places to make phone calls
where you won't interrupt anyone else's flow.

I'm a part-time member which gets me 12 weekdays a month. Since I average at
least a week of travel a month, that basically works out to 4 days a week
while I'm in town.

If you're interested and in New York, or are just looking for a place to work
with other people when you're in town, drop in. We're a very friendly bunch.
:-)

Edit: Fred added New Work City in. Thanks! Stop on by when you get a chance.

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fredwilson
i added it

big miss, i feel badly about that

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bigsassy
I you want to add another one, New York Nighowls is a co-working club that
goes from 10pm to 4am.

<http://nynightowls.com/>

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ekidd
Interesting. My experience is that private offices are great for programming,
and project-specific bullpens without people yammering on the telephone are
OK, too.

What's it like to code in one of these coworking spaces? Can you concentrate
for extended periods? Obviously, being surrounded by lots of other startups is
psychologically useful. But what are the tradeoffs?

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blhack
Coding is not my primary role in my job (although it is what I spend a good
portion of my spare time doing), so maybe I'm strange.

My best "my god it is full of stars" moments have all been while sitting in
noisy areas with headphones on. For some reason, all of the extra commotion
going on around me really helps me concentrate.

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bigsassy
I'm a big fan of coworking spaces. As a single founder, it's difficult to
bounce ideas off people if there's nobody physically in the same room (or
square mile) as you. I try to visit the offices of a company ran by a couple
friends from college once a month.

After a few days of sharing ideas, helping out on each other's problems, and
talking about the future of our respective ventures I head back to my home
office with renewed energy and focus.

Of course, YMMV.

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bigsassy
If anybody is interested in finding a coworking space nearby, here's a wiki
that has a pretty comprehensive list of coworking spaces around the world:

<http://coworking.pbworks.com/Directory>

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sumeetjain
Coworking spaces are great. It's also good to remember that if you don't live
near one - or can't get to one for whatever reason - you can always start your
own space in your home.

A relative of mine in Omaha, Nebraska has "Coworking Wednesdays" in his house
every week, and they always draw a good group of people.

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jot
I run just such a space in Brighton, UK: <http://theSkiff.org>.

About 60% of us are directly working in tech the rest are in all sorts of
other diverse industries.

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AlexBlom
What we all too often forget is that co-working can be extended far beyond the
tech startup space.

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truebosko
I've been using a co-working space in Toronto called Camaraderie
(<http://camaraderie.ca/>) - Just as you mentioned, the variety of people
coming in is of a wide range. We have some tech startups renting desks/rooms,
but also a woman who runs a Beer marketing company, life coaches, event
organizers, and more.

Although I love talking code/tech, it's interesting to see the variety coming
through.

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AlexBlom
I pop into Camaraderie frequently. I'm organizing Freelance camp with Rachel /
Wayne.

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tibbon
I've been thinking about what makes a good coworking space. After 3.5 years in
the best coworking space ever betahouse (imho), I've moved to Columbus, Ohio
and I'm checking out the spaces here. I haven't found one that is as tech-
heavy as betahouse, which is something I highly enjoy.

I feel one mistake that is easy to make with coworking is to make the space
'too nice' with too much privacy. If everyone's got an office with a door,
something is wrong. Remove the door at least, and think about bashing down a
few walls. Part of the sheer joy of coworking is being right there with
people. When you step away for anything more than a quick phone call, or a
business meeting in the conference room, then you're not coworking
efficiently.

Sure, coworking can be a distraction, but having access to brilliant and
skilled people around you to bounce ideas off, look at your code, or make your
day better is priceless and far outweighs time lost due to distraction.

The reason that many of us gravitate toward coworking to begin with is that
we're lonely. Working from home, alone, often not leaving the house for the
entire day, isn't good for you. We might have coworkers, but they are only as
close as skype. With coworking, you can establish deep bonds that go beyond
your current job/gig.

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BrandonM
I'm in Columbus, too. Would you mind adding some contact info to your profile?

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aristus
For less formal coworking, become a "regular" at a cafe on a particular day of
the week, and invite everyone to join you. I hang out at Sugarlump in SF every
Wednesday.

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scottkrager
Some coworking spaces even have private offices. Wait, what's the point of a
private office at a coworking space? Well, I love it...you can be social when
you want (leave your door open, or hang out in the common areas), and take
important calls when you need too. Best of Both worlds. I'm in Portland, OR at
NedSpace

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al3x
Coworking spaces are great, but good coworking spaces are hard to find. I
toured and worked from every coworking space I could find in Portland before
settling at the one I presently work out of. I'm happy with it, but not
thrilled; I've talked to other Portlanders about doing something better.

Point being: do your research. Many coworking spaces do "day passes", or if
you know someone who works from or runs a space, ask if you can work there for
a day for free. Everyone has different sensitivities to noise levels, the
ergonomics of the work furniture provided, and so forth. Not every space is
going to work for everyone.

It is a big cost saver, though. Even in a cheap city like Portland, getting
decent office space and everything that has to go with it would be a helluva
lot more than I pay to work from a coworking space.

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beh
What made you settle on your current space? It may be hard to generalize as a
lot has to do with personal preference, but what do you feel coworking spaces
in Portland are missing?

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BrandonM
Reading the article gave me an office-sharing idea that I think would be quite
helpful for small companies. Instead of just providing office space, the
hosting company would also provide HR, legal services, and other tangential
work for the resident companies. This would allow small companies to benefit
from large-company-like resources while remaining focused on the core
business.

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pontifier
I worked for a while at a Coworking space. It was great. I felt like I got a
lot accomplished, but then both of the coworking spaces here in Utah shut
down. Now I'm a member of a Hackerspace and it's a lot more fun, but I don't
get as much done on my business.

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apinstein
Atlanta's got several great spaces that I've personally seen. We have 4 people
working out of Ignition Alley daily, and have used both 151 Locust and
Strongbox West as well.

If you're in Atlanta please stop by and check one out!

We have "co-workings wins" all the time.

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tron_carter
Are there businesses who have streamlined all of the operations, billing,
furnishing, marketing, and setup of the co-working space for space owners, in
exchange for a percentage of the co-working rents?

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HeyLaughingBoy
I'd imagine anyone who wanted to start a business doing this would rent the
building and then sublet to the co-workers.

Make a lot more money that way!

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einarvollset
For the Silicon Valley crowd with a Surf hankering I highly recommend
NextSpace: <http://nextspace.us>

It's in Santa Cruz, but that's a good thing..

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jasonspalace
what a great way to build a 21st century business, an updated map would be
useful.

[http://www.workalicious.org/2009/08/interactive-google-
map-o...](http://www.workalicious.org/2009/08/interactive-google-map-of-
coworking.html)

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savrajsingh
Princeton, New Jersey -- anyone want to start a coworking space here? ;)

