

A Café for the Freelance Nation - RougeFemme
http://www.ozy.com/good-sht/caf-pay-as-you-go/6513.article

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hmsimha
My take on this: While it's an interesting concept, and I'd love to see
discussion on it, $3.50 an hour is a bit higher than what I'd be willing to
pay for using wifi in most American cities, unless the coffee is _really_ good
and comes with the best damn selection of creamers, sweeteners, and frills
around.

Now from what I understand, in some cities it actually _is_ tough to find wifi
because the inflated property costs have birthed a restaurant and cafe culture
that clings to snap turnover to stay afloat. In these cities (which are in the
minority, but perhaps are home to the majority of tech workers), I could see
this kind of cafe succeeding wildly.

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mjn
In addition to the restaurant/cafe culture, the quality and quantity of space
provided by the local library systems is another factor. I sometimes work in
coffee shops in Copenhagen when I don't want to be in the office, but compared
to other places I've lived, I find myself more often working in libraries.
They have free wifi, don't care how long you stay, have power plugs, have
access to various paywalled databases, and some even have cafes if you want to
grab a coffee. And there are a _lot_ of them, something like 20 libraries
within 5 km of my house (counting municipal and university ones), so they
don't really fill up, with the possible exception of exam weeks.

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d23
This is what I've been eyeing for my next move if it ends up being remote. My
only concern is a space where I can eat and conference call without disturbing
other patrons or going outside.

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mjn
Around here most of them have a place where you can eat, but conference-
calling is more of a problem. Some libraries do have private "study rooms" or
"meeting rooms" you can book (intended for students working on group projects
and the like, who need a more enclosed space where making noise is ok), but I
haven't looked into it.

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jlees
Someone on HN tipped me off to the Workshop in SF recently, which has a
similar pay-per-minute (well, hour) model. Coffee's still expensive, but you
don't have to buy it, and there's concierge service with food etc. It's been a
great spot to fill a multi-hour gap without guilt.

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specialist
The biggest "bummer" to laptop camping is the limited food selection.

I make sure to pay my "rent" when I'm in a cafe (buy stuff, tip well). But
it'd be a lot easier if there was stuff more compatible with my cave man diet,
selections beyond treats and panini. I get that fresh fiber is highly
perishable, so is mostly impractical. Maybe soups. Or house salads (bulk, pre
made) like the grocery store deli.

Who ever figures out the food options will win my heart and money.

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k-mcgrady
I can't understand the appeal working in coffee shops has to some freelancers.
I can see how an hour, maybe two could break up the day but when you have free
coffee and excellent wifi you're already paying for at home why would you pay
to work in a crowded, noisy public space?

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ronaldx
I understand that you don't personally find this appealing, but I suggest that
you are likely in a minority:

1\. Background noise is said to be good for creative-type work:
[http://www.prevention.com/health/brain-games/how-noise-
makes...](http://www.prevention.com/health/brain-games/how-noise-makes-you-
more-creative)

2\. Breaking up your day into chunks and physically moving around are both
potentially great for productivity. Joel Runyon recently dubbed this
'workstation popcorn': [http://impossiblehq.com/workstation-
popcorn](http://impossiblehq.com/workstation-popcorn)

~~~
coldtea
Not to mention, in similar places like these, meeting people (for business
and/or flirting), and well, having some exersize just by walking there.

And after you dragged yourself there, you have more guilt if you don't work,
compared to being at home.

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jbeja
Off topic: Watching the picture, do people realy code in their tablet (ipad,
etc)?

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bamos
I had a friend who tried [0] before, but switched back to a macbook after a
few months.

[0]: [http://yieldthought.com/post/12239282034/swapped-my-
macbook-...](http://yieldthought.com/post/12239282034/swapped-my-macbook-for-
an-ipad)

~~~
vinceguidry
His follow-up article suggests he ended up doing it permanently.

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acd
A good work café would have Apple TV, Miracast and HDMI cables connected to
24-30 inch screens & borrow keyboards wireless and usb charging of devices.

~~~
k-mcgrady
That's not a café, that's an office that has coffee making facilities.

