3. A Simple Idea: Coworking
• 2005
– “Coworking”
– Brad Neuberg
– Chris Messina
– Tara Hunt
• 2006
– Hat Factory
– Citizen Space
– Google Group
Brad Neuberg at The Hat Factory
San Francisco, California
Office Nomads: Individuality Without IsolationPhoto: Business Week
4. 2007 – Seattle, Washington
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
8. What do people need?
Feeling isolated
40%
To increase
productivity
40%
Business connections
7%
Other
4%
Social connections
3%
Hired by a Nomad
3% Decrease overhead
3%
“Why did you become a member at Office Nomads?”
From Office Nomads Member Survey, May 2010
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
9. Trevor
“I didn't want to sacrifice
my independent career just
because I was hitting
productivity walls.”
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
10. Robyn
“Everyone thinks that
working at home is
ideal, until you do it. I
was going crazy not
having anyone to
communicate with.”
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
12. Common Themes
These stories illustrate
basic human needs that
were not getting met
working from home, at
coffee shops, or in a
corporate environment
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
13. Common Themes
Shared resources are
certainly a huge benefit of
coworking but not to the
point that it can drive a
movement as energized as
this.
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
15. Where This Leads
• More successful
coworking spaces
• More successful
entrepreneurs and
small businesses
• The industry of
coworking
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
16. How Do We Do It?
Office Nomads: Individuality Without IsolationPhoto: The Seattle Times
17. We Created a Platform
• Simple structure
• Clear intentions
• A culture of trust
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
18. We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity
in everything we do
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
19. We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity
in everything we do
• Design of the office
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
20. We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity
in everything we do
• Design of the office
• Our pricing plans
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
21. We Created a Platform
We prioritize simplicity
in everything we do
• Design of the office
• Our pricing plans
• Daily operations
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
22. We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
23. We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
• We are not in the printing
business
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
24. We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
• We are not in the printing
business
• We are not in the
telephone business
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
25. We Created a Platform
We have clear intentions
• We are not in the printing
business
• We are not in the
telephone business
• We are in the coworking
business
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
26. We Created a Platform
We have promoted a
true culture of trust
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
27. We Created a Platform
We have promoted a
true culture of trust
• Our community of
members trust and
respect us because we
trust and respect them
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
28. We Created a Platform
We have promoted a
true culture of trust
• Our community of
members trust and
respect us because we
trust and respect them
• Our members are smart
and are going to make the
right choices for
themselves
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
29. We are Continually Evolving
• We are members
• Open communication
• Remain responsive
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
30. We are Continually Evolving
We Are Members!
We are independent business
owners like all of our
members, and we enjoy the
same benefits of collaboration,
inspiration, and support they
do
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
31. We are Continually Evolving
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
32. We are Continually Evolving
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
33. We are Continually Evolving
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
34. We are Continually Evolving
• Original Pricing Structure
– $475/month for dedicated desk
– $25/day for daily use only
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
35. We are Continually Evolving
• Current Pricing Structure
– $475/month for Resident Members
– $50/month for Basic Members
(3 days/month)
– $75-$225/month for Part-Time Members
(5, 10, 15 days/month)
– $25/day for non-members
• Original Pricing Structure
– $475/month for dedicated desk
– $25/day for daily use only
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
36. We Invest in the Larger
Coworking Community
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
SXSW 2009 – Austin, Texas
37. We Invest in the Larger
Coworking Community
• International Google
Group
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
38. We Invest in the Larger
Coworking Community
• International Google
Group
• Coworking Visa
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
39. We Invest in the Larger
Coworking Community
• International Google
Group
• Coworking Visa
• Coworking Seattle
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
40. We Invest in the Larger
Coworking Community
• International Google
Group
• Coworking Visa
• Coworking Seattle
• Collaborative
projects (CoworkingDB,
Nadine)
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Coworking Discussion
SXSW, Austin, Texas
42. Applying What We’ve Learned
http://officenomads.com/grow
Office Nomads: Individuality Without IsolationPhoto: The Seattle Times
43. Applying What We’ve Learned
We are starting by asking
Seattle what they want
and where they want it
http://officenomads.com/grow
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
47. Why am I doing this?
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
48. People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they
are doing – Dale Carnegie
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
49. Keep in touch!
• http://officenomads.com
• jacob@officenomads.com
• @jacobsayles and @officenomads
• http://coworkingseattle.org
• http://wiki.coworking.com/CoworkingDB
• http://wiki.coworking.com/NadineProject
Office Nomads: Individuality Without Isolation
Editor's Notes
THANK YOU
Specifically the fast growth of coworking
The focus here is on the big picture and I'm going to speak from my experience at Office Nomads over the past three years.
I’m going to start out with a little history
And then dive in and explore what is behind this amazing growth
I’ll then talk about what we’ve done specifically at Office Nomads
And where all this leads
Who owns a space?
I thought I had invented it. Seriously! It’s not surprising, it’s a great idea!
I had been dreaming about it for years before I discovered coworking. My vision was more along the lines of a coffee shop that was focused on productivity. When I discovered coworking I realized I didn’t need the coffee shop.
This all came out of my career as a software developer. I always chose startups because I love the excitement and the small, tight community of individuals….
Since then I’ve been very passionate about coworking and I jumped in with both feet.
I’m excited to share what I’ve learned.
2005 - Brad Neuberg penned the term “Coworking” in 2005. Don’t under estimate the power of the word.
He worked with a group of people including Chris Messina and Tara Hunt to start a live/work space called The Hat Factory in San Francisco
2006 - Chris and Tara went on to start a dedicated work space called Citizen Space.
Together they started the Coworking Google Group and worked to spread the word.
In Early 2007 when I started really exploring this idea I had been dreaming about, a friend tipped me off that some folks down in San Francisco were doing something that sounded similar.
I met Susan Evans a few months later and interestingly enough SHE thought she had invented it. I brought her up to speed and we were able to open our doors at Office Nomads soon after.
The idea has evolved into a movement and has grown exponentially and spanned the globe
And the fact that the movement has accelerated despite the downturn in world economies shows that it’s an industry with tremendous strength, adaptability and opportunity
It’s simple. Coworking works because people need it!
So what do people need?
We surveyed the members of Office Nomads and asked why they joined.
The two biggest reasons by far are to increase productivity and because they were feeling isolated
Let’s explore that by taking a look at some examples we’ve seen at Office Nomads
And then we can look at how a coworking space can meet those needs.
Trevor is a resident nomad. Here he is with his daughter Sparks.
He’s a computer programmer with a pretty interesting path.
He was a researcher at Xerox Park and has worked for large corporations and small startups and he discovered he really needs to be independent.
The trusted network and open, collaborative culture at Office Nomads feeds his entrepreneurial spirit and allows him to live the life he wants to live.
Robyn and her husband Chris lived in NYC when he was in medical school and She got a job as an urban planner for a firm in New Jersey.
They wanted to get back to Seattle and Chris landed his residency at the University of Washington.
Her company didn’t want to lose her because she is a rockstar so they agreed to let her work remotely.
It didn’t take long to realize she couldn’t stand working from home but she was pretty committed having moved across the country.
Her company really didn’t want to lose her and they agreed to cover her membership at Office Nomads.
These stories, and the millions more just like them, contain some common themes.
They wanted a more personal and connected lifestyle and they are now enjoying the amazing benefits that brings.
What we are not hearing are a lot of stories like “My business is so much better because I didn’t have to buy my own laser printer!”
Shared resources are certainly a large benefit but not the point that it can drive a movement as energized as this.
It’s the personal stories, the feeling of being isolated and the need for more productivity that is driving this
It really is that simple
As more and more people realize this and understand how to prioritize their energy, and focus it where it really matters,
we’ll see more and more successful coworking spaces
Which will lead to more and more successful entrepreneurs and small businesses
Which gives rise to an industry that embodies these values and has a powerful impact on world economies.
So how do we do it at Office Nomads?
How do we prioritize our energy so that we are most efficiently addressing people’s need to be more productive and their feelings of isolation?
Office Nomads is simply a platform.
We created a simple structure and then work hard to stay out of the way.
We prioritize simplicity in everything we do
The design of the office
Our pricing plans
Our daily operations
Signing in, meeting rooms, etc
We have clear intentions
We are not in the printing business. We have a modest B&W multi-function laser printer and it’s included in the membership.
We are not in the phone business. We add little as a middle man or reseller and we all have cell phones anyway
We are in the coworking business.
We promote a culture of trust
We are heavily invested in the culture of Office Nomads
Our community of members trust and respect us because we trust and respect them
Our members are smart and are going to make the right choices for themselves.
It’s important to note that we are members.
We are not sitting in a corner office playing the roll of “the person in charge”.
We are small, independent business owners, just like all our members, and we enjoy the same benefits of collaboration, inspiration, and support they do
We bring our own passions and interests to share
Rather then having “Board Meetings” we hold regular State of the Nomad meetings where we invite all our members to talk about where we are as a company and solicit feedback.
When we needed more feedback we pulled all nomads who had been with us for over a year to have a move involved discussion about our business plan and our progress
We had a room in the back of our space we called “The Cave”.
We THOUGHT some folks would like to have a quiet area a little apart from the rest of the space.
Turns out, everyone liked sitting up front where all the people were. I guess if they liked isolation they wouldn’t have made the choice to work at a coworking space
We opened the wall up and now everyone likes working back there.
Our members have helped us build Office Nomads from the very beginning.
We opened our space just three weeks after getting the keys to the building and worked together with our members.
We even changed our pricing structure to respond to customer feedback.
We were originally TOO simplistic and people wanted more ways
People wanted more ways to be involved and join in
We created memberships for people coming in 3, 5, 10, or 15 days/month
We regularly participate in the international google group
We open our doors to members of other coworking spaces around the world through the Coworking Visa program and encourage our members to stop in and say hello when they are traveling
We started a group in Seattle aptly called Coworking Seattle to unify the movement locally and promote the growth of the industry at home
We invest our time in ways that are beneficial to the entire community.
We are starting the Coworking Database project to help organize the global list of spaces
We have open sourced Nadine, the software we use to run Office Nomads.
That’s how we’ve done it at Office Nomads
We created a platform that is simple enough to not get in the way
We are continually evolving with feedback from our members
And we participate in our local community, and the global coworking community
We didn’t need to manufacture anything. We have been able to attract amazing people simply by being attentive to their needs.
We are taking everything we have learned over the past three years and putting it to the test as we prepare to open a second coworking space in Seattle.
This introduces new challenges.
The highly personal business model we’ve developed doesn’t lend itself too well to the traditional cut & paste, grow grow grow mentality.
We are excited to this on and learn from it.
It’s a difficult thing to bottle up and reproduce.
It’s important to understand where small and personal has advantages to BIG.
It’s a lot easy for us to ask for help from the people who will become our members.
And that is just what we are doing.
We put our intention out there in the form of a page on our website
We have a few supporting documents to clearly explain what it is we are trying to do, and what it will take to make it happen
There is a survey on there asking what neighborhood people would like us to move into and we are gathering feedback.
Why have I spent the last four years completely transforming my life and my career?
Because I believe in coworking. I see the need for it.
I needed it.
I wanted to live a more personal, connected life surrounded by an amazing community
And that is my life today I’m happy to say.
And most of all
It’s a heck of a lot of fun and I would certainly recommend it to anyone!