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โ Coworking impact.
๐บ๐ฆ 80 local Ukrainian spaces, and their true current situation #
Vika Zhurbas & Iryna Semichastnaya from the Ukrainian Coworking Association share an updated map showing what’s happening at the 80 (from 130 in 2021) coworking spaces.
๐ Read this.
๐ค Solidarity and Care in our Communities #
The past few years have been particularly difficult for our friends and neighbors experiencing poverty, food insecurity, and/or houselessness. Deskpass issues the December IDEA challenge, encouraging coworking communities and their members to act in solitary; to take some kind of action, and to partner with or support groups who are working locally to make a difference year-round.
๐ Read this.
Coworking news & views.
๐คทโโ๏ธ Coworking spaces “limit creativity in the long run”!? #
According to a study by City University London, coworking spaces have a NEGATIVE impact on creativity.
Digging into the details, the study (co-authored by Professor Stefan Haefliger from Bayes Business School) investigated "how collaborative practices emerge" in coworking spaces. It was based on Level 39 in London’s Canary Wharf and found that "the informal setting of the space initially supported collective explorations between start-ups but inhibited collaborations from developing", and highlighted "the need for a catalyst".
๐ Read this.
๐ข Coworking in a turbulent 2023 #
Miro Miroslavov from OfficeRnd typed up his thoughts and predictions for what coworking could look like in 2023. He then invited me to jump in and sprinkle in some thoughts and commentary.
We looked at changes in flex demand, shifts around landlords, profitability and less being greater than more.
๐ Read this.
๐ผ If there’s going to be a Spotify-for-space, what about the YouTube, Apple and Prime? #
Following last week’s newsletter and our weekly discussion (join this week via the link in the email version) I wrote a quick post with my thoughts.
Whilst we may be on the way to truly making workspace more accessible than it’s ever been, I don’t believe one app/interface will ever be the only way people find, book and leverage space, just like Spotify isn’t the only way people engage with music.
๐ Read this.
๐ NYC announces bold new action plan #
Aleksandr Gampel shares that NYC have ‘toggled on’ favorable tailwinds for office to residential conversions. The whole plan is a fascinating look at how/if areas of Manhattan can be reimagined for the future of how people live, work, play and commute between them.
๐ Read this.
๐น๏ธ What can a game (about game theory) teach us about trust? #
This 30min web-based game by Nicky Case (from July 2017, I believe) came across my desk this week and digs into how trust evolves through game-theory.
Not sure about how exactly it relates to coworking, but found the idea that "game theory can help explain our epidemic of distrust" fascinating enough to share. Let me know what you think.
๐ Read this.
๐ 5 takeaways from the Coworking Symposium #
Dr. Alexandra Bernhardt shares 5 takeaways from the research-focussed Coworking Symposium in Prague.
In summary they included that digital nomads also had negative effects, a new EU project to develop booking platform for university coworking spaces, and insights into the Ukrainian war on coworking.
๐ Read this.
๐ฎ What 30 years of combined experience predict for next year #
Sarah Travers and Bobby Murphy (both from Workbar) share their predictions for 2023, noticing a turning point in how their members are thinking about office space and how best to consume it.
They dug into a shift in power back to employers, new stakeholder partnerships, optionality, ESG, space-as-a-tool, and location x3.
๐ Read this.
๐ฉ๐ช Calling out “the slump in coworking” #
Tobias Kremkau shares why a local magazine got it wrong in saying that coworking was in a slump/downturn.
In short, this post draws back to a debate that’s been going on since the naughtiest… "what makes a space a coworking space, and does it matter?"
๐ Read this.
๐ Will RTO mandates be like fax machines, and offices like music? #
Caleb Parker shares a prediction that asset values will reach record values, and it has a lot to do with Return To Office (RTO) mandates and how access increases consumption. The meme-filled post continues the dig we’ve recently been making (and discussing) around ‘Spotify of Offices’.
๐ Read this.
๐ฆ A reminder of some large well-known co’s who started in coworking spaces #
CorporateSuites shares a summary of (just some of) the big-brand businesses who’s founding time and place can be traced back to a coworking space somewhere.
Their list includes Uber, Spotify, Indiegogo, Instagram, Ofo, ZipRecruiter, and Charity:Water. Any big or well-known local companies who started or grew from within your space? Are you celebrating them (and yourselves)?
๐ Read this.
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๐ป Coworking technology.
๐ฎ๐ณ Flex space marketplace expands across India #
Vivek H Kundnani shares that FLEXO is now scaling across India after successfully serving Mumbai.
๐ Read this.
๐ฉ๐ช Two networks team up in Germany #
Christoph Fahle shares a new partnership between One Coworking and orangery.. The partnership allows members of each platform/network to use the others’ spaces, and mentions an API/UX component. Will be keeping an eye on this one.
๐ Read this.
๐ค How will AI impact coworking content? #
Justin Moran shares an example from the new, and wildly popular, ChatGPT conversational AI platform.
In it the system is asked to create 3 paragraphs about the benefits of coworking. The AI returned 4 paragraphs, that were pretty close to content each of us may have written at least once in our careers.
I know this means more moderation on the links and stories I share here with you all, but what does this kind of technology mean for you and the marketing of your space in the already crowded world of SMB content?
๐ Read this.
๐ฆ๐ช Dubai-based flex marketplace lands growth capital #
Letswork have announced a $2.1M seed round, and an expansion into neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The platform, founded in 2019 by Omar Almheiri and Hamza Khan, allows users to book workspaces in coworking spaces, cafes and hotels.
๐ Read this.
Coworking data.
๐งฎ A look at remoter worker numbers across 9 cities #
The team at andcards share a list featuring 9 locations to potentially open a coworking space.
What I found interesting is the details of number of estimated remote workers in each of the cities, compared to the average cost of buying office space.
๐ Read this.
Coworking market moves.
๐ฉ๐ช local-focussed operator makes a deluxe acquision #
John Neilan shares that on Jan 1, "Coworking Deluxe" in Neukรถlln will become "tuesday coworking – Pflรผgerstrasse", becoming their 4th space in Berlin.
๐ Read this.
๐จ The budding trend of large coworking members leaving for traditional leases #
Craig Baute shares that they’re seeing a new trend of larger companies moving out of coworking spaces and into traditional leases, and digs into if spaces focussed on just flexibility and price will be able to compete.
The trend is accelerated by a few things, notably availability of more fully-furnished subleases, landlords accepting shorter terms (albeit reluctantly) and lower asking rents.
๐ Read this.
๐ Coworking conversations.
Jamie Russo chats with Peter Chee from thinkspace about how they used one-way tickets and coworking spaces across the US to get some perspective on what comes next.
๐ง Listen to this.
