Peanut Butter
A good idea with a terrible name attached to a futile business model.
I could stop right there and have succinctly described the Jelly, a gathering taking place at Citizen Desk this week. People in Wausau like social gatherings so this “Jelly” seems to be on track for success in that regard, though I have a feeling more than a few of the names on the list will be absent for whatever reason. My reason is that I wasn’t invited.
But the real purpose of the event is to serve as a sort of “look at me!” for Citizen Desk. Unfortunately, while the idea of a co-working space has merit, the fact that we are in the rural midwest where space is cheaply had (home office, anyone?) and that people value their privacy when it comes to professional matters makes it a non-starter. There may be a few exceptions, but what then?
Let’s say I shell out $150 (or whatever amount) per month for a desk at CD. That gets me a workspace with no storage, up 4 flights of stairs, in an office space with a great view but no cross ventilation and a hard-to-explain location. Internet is included, but wireless, and I have to bring my own tools.
Speaking of tools, trying to design on a laptop SUCKS.
Assuming you get past the architectural and hardware-related issues, we come to the people you’ll be sharing your space with. Because CD is in it for the money first and foremost (as are most businesses doomed to fail), I see it as unlikely that anybody who wants a desk will be refused one. Which means your entire work environment could be completely altered by one person.
Nobody wants that kind of unpredictability when they are trying to get work done. Instead, save that $150 a month and spend it on your own internet, keeping your hardware and software up to date, and if nothing else, on doing nice things for your clients. Meet your friends and colleagues for lunch, and then you can all go back to your respective workspaces, spaces that you’ve optimized for yourselves, and most importantly, get work done.
Todd said:
You don’t need an invitation to a Jelly. Just show up! It’s a great opportunity to work and to work alongside extremely bright, talented people–both technical and non-technical. Or don’t show up. It’s really up to you.
Your point about ‘one person completely altering the work environment’ has merit but I don’t think it’s a forgone conclusion. After all, the other members have something to lose, too. Given the strong community emphasis (and business need) in play in coworking, what I’ve seen and heard indicates that people who don’t fit self-select themselves out.
And that’s the point. Coworking isn’t for everyone. I don’t know what you do or how you work, but if a shared, open workspace isn’t your thing, then it isn’t your thing (end of story).
Bottom line–coworking works for a lot of people, the number is growing, and work gets done–I do it literally every day!
Space and community are two human needs that never go away.
Todd Sundsted
http://NotAnMBA.com/
http://twitter.com/NotAnMBA
http://groups.google.com/group/NotAnMBA
bandit@NotAnMBA.com
April 1st, 2008 at 1:40 pm #
Andy Laub said:
Todd, thanks for your feedback. My intent wasn’t to dismiss coworking in general; it’s a great idea with many possibilities. However, Wausau, while being a great community, is slow to accept these sorts of things and so maybe a nicer way to phrase it would be that it’s an idea that’s “ahead of its time”.
You’re absolutely right that it isn’t for everyone, but I suspect that how right it is depends on the environment and the management of the coworking space and not just on the individual. I have tried working at Citizen Desk a few times, albeit unsuccessfully, so I do my freelance work from my office at home.
As for the jelly, I realize that I was/am listed as one of the people who *should* come, but I was apparently forgotten when the emails were sent.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:59 pm #
Alex Hillman said:
Coworking isn’t one size fits all, and I believe that’s one of its biggest strengths. If a certain style of coworking doesn’t work for you, or ANY style of coworking, there’s no-one force feeding it to you.
Coworking, Jelly, collaborative environments, etc…they’re all about increasing opportunity for things to happen better. Easier. Faster. They don’t guarantee anything. Quality in, quality out. Garbage in, garbage out.
It’s reasonable to believe that your words in this post are motivated by a feeling of being slighted. Perhaps you weren’t asked for your input when Citizen Desk was getting together. I’m not privy to all of the details. But those details aren’t the point. Besides, as it was pointed out to me, “There are always 3 sides to a story. Yours, mine and the truth.”.
At the pace some of these things move, it’s not always feesable to give every person a personal invitation. Speaking up (as you have) is not only valuable, but welcome! But talking smack without offering any kind of solution is simply talking smack, and gets us nowhere.
And much like you’re view of coworking, talking smack isn’t good for anyone.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:09 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
I thought I would jump in here too. Far be it from me to be the voice of reason, but Co working is a great idea.
IN SAN FRANCISCO, OR NYC, or CHICAGO.
It is, as Andy said, a hard sell in a town where I can get office space for pennies a foot.
As a former Citizen of Citizen Desk, I like the room. In the summer it is blazing hot, and stifling though.
I think the Jelly is getting lost in the shuffle though.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:11 pm #
Andy Laub said:
Alex, I agree with you. Most of all, I agree with the “garbage in, garbage out” statement, because that’s what endeavors solely motivated by money are bound to produce. I suspect you started Indy Hall because you thought it would truly make for a better place to work, and I think being motivated by the fact that you truly believe in what you’re doing is a crucial part of a successful business.
Perhaps coworking could eventually become more useful in Wausau, but for now I just don’t think it fits. The freelance market here isn’t as robust as larger cities, and space isn’t at a premium.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:29 pm #
Reed said:
I will just add this to what has been said already: Indyhall in Philadelphia works because the community came before the real estate. The people who make up Indyhall were, for the most part, doing co-working in each other’s apartments, or coffee shops, or in a restaurant/bar that opened early for them, for months before there was a real coworking space to share and pay rent on. The community was built first and the space to work in came later. Alex has often made the point to others who were trying to start their own coworking space that the chances of success are far greater if things are done in that order. It sounds as though (although I don’t know, since I know nothing of the Wausau web dev community) that is not the case where you are.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:37 pm #
Andy Laub said:
Reed, I greatly appreciate the clarification; and you are accurate in your assumption. Thank you so much for explaining it so well.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:40 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
Reed, thanks so much. Was that you in the blood bank thingy on Viddler?
April 1st, 2008 at 4:20 pm #
Todd said:
Don’t forget that’s it about more than space! In places like Wausau (or Birmingham), a connected, vibrant community is at a premium–and it’s one I’m willing to pay for so that I can be around people who are making it happen each day/all day. I spent at least $100 on coffee back in the day, just so I could get out and interact with the others who were shaking it up.
Okay, that’s enough for me. Signing off and wishing everyone PEACE!
April 1st, 2008 at 4:56 pm #
Reed said:
You are very welcome! Yes, I did a short video on giving blood. It was partly to help promote the Indyhall blood drive but partly just as a message in general.
April 1st, 2008 at 8:41 pm #
Boogenstein said:
WAR KITTENS?
April 1st, 2008 at 10:19 pm #
Andy Laub said:
Oh noes!
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:23 am #
Dino Corvino said:
I think that the majority of these commenters are speaking to the concept of co working, which I don’t think anyone has an issue with. I think that Andy was speaking to this specific instance maybe, though I do not want to put words in his mouth.
Clearly all of these cats come from co working, and rather specific twitter stream.
CD has a real chance to be something, but it has not to this point unified the free lancer or creative type population. I cannot explain why. It was given a launch any central Wisconsin business would jump at, and it had a great launch party.
Clearly though, given a chance to stand on its own, it has not gotten the business it would like. Though with a partner like Compass Properties, who could really ask anything more.
The way Compass has made that fourth floor available to Citizen Desk on what seems to be a sliding scale, is amazingly progressive for the city, and they should be applauded.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 am #